About | Pay it Forward Charleston

Starting with the essentials

Pay It Forward Charleston began as a collaboration between farmers, restaurants, and community members who united in an effort to feed food and beverage workers during the COVID-19 crisis.

With every $10 donated, a Charleston community member received a grocery bag ﬁlled with goods purchased at a discounted rate from local farms. The donations created income for farmers who were impacted by restaurant closures in the wake of COVID-19 and provided fresh produce to community members who were out of work.

In all, Pay It Forward raised $100,000 and delivered over 11,000 bags of groceries to the food and beverage community from March - September of 2020, working in collaboration with Feed the Need Charleston. Riding a wave of community support, the program was expanded to serve three area shelters before it was wrapped up that fall.

Growing beyond groceries

With the success of original provision assistance and an outpouring of community support, the founding team knew there was an opportunity to do more. Pay It Forward Charleston expanded efforts to include grant-giving and now offers individual support in addition to food-based relief. Ongoing programming addresses individual and community needs in a timely and hospitable manner, supporting the people that make Charleston’s great food community possible.