Sullivan’s Island Resident Leads Effort to Address Food Insecurity

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Sullivan's Island

At the request of Councilmember Jody Latham, nonprofit organizer and Sullivan’s Island resident Carey Dunn addressed Town Council during its July meeting to discuss a community effort aimed at addressing food insecurity among children in the Charleston area.

Dunn has extensive experience working with and establishing nonprofit organizations. Her latest initiative, the Backpack Buddy Program, partners with local schools to provide weekend meals and snacks to children who may not have consistent access to food when school is not in session.

The program currently provides weekend food bags to 40 students each week at North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary School (NCCAE), a Title I school. Dunn and fellow Sullivan’s Island resident Jenna Elliot also help support the school’s on-site market pantry.

Many students receive breakfast and lunch at school during the week but may face food insecurity at home over the weekend. Through the Backpack Buddy Program, participating students receive bags containing shelf-stable meals and snacks before leaving school on Fridays.

Dunn said the 40 students currently served represent a meaningful start, but not the full extent of the need. One of the program’s biggest challenges is determining how to expand responsibly as other Title I schools face similar needs.

NCCAE has asked the program to return for the coming school year, and Dunn hopes the effort eventually can extend to additional schools, including Deer Park Middle School and Sanders-Clyde Elementary. Expansion, she said, will depend on additional community support and volunteers willing to serve as ambassadors who can help identify school partnerships and spread the word.

Dunn said the idea for the initiative grew from her family’s desire to remain mindful of needs that can be less visible within the broader Charleston community.

“Ever since we moved to Charleston in 2013, it's been a calling on our family to keep our eyes open to the needs around us,” Dunn told the Island Eye. “We live somewhere beautiful, with kind people, and it's easy to assume things are good for everyone. But having an others-focused mindset means staying aware of the ripple effects in our own backyard.”

Residents, businesses and community organizations can support the program in several ways. Opportunities include donating food or supplies for students at North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary, serving as a program ambassador to help connect the initiative with additional schools or hosting a packing party where volunteers organize supplies and prepare bags for distribution.

“My hope is that our island community becomes known for showing up when there's a need and doing something about it, not just once, but consistently,” Dunn said. “What starts as a backpack of food and a few basic hygiene items, small things that restore a sense of dignity, could grow into something bigger.”

Sullivan’s Island Town Hall has agreed to serve as a delivery location for donations supporting the program. Dunn’s Amazon wish list will remain active through Sept. 15, giving residents an opportunity to purchase needed items and have them delivered directly to Town Hall.