Food and Fun

In most any situation or circumstance, the people best qualified to help others are those who have been through the same or very similar situations or circumstances. That’s why Leslie Murphy, a disabled veteran of the United States Marine Corps, founded the Carolina Veterans Commission, a non-profit organization based in Lancaster.

WEST COLUMBIA — Hundreds of thousands of people across South Carolina live in communities where access to supermarkets or large grocery stores is beyond reach. In agricultural terms, such areas are called “food deserts” — communities where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain.

“For a growing population, healthy foods are much harder to come by in the modern world,” Clemson University professor Dave Lamie said. “For many, they sadly are beyond reach.”

The Lancaster Pregnancy Care Center held an appreciation dinner for its volunteers on Thursday, Sept. 25, at the Historic Lancaster County Courthouse.

More than 70 invitations were sent out to community residents who operate as liaisons between the community, their home church and the pregnancy center, said Julie Walters, who was named Executive Director of the center three months ago.

INDIAN LAND – How often have you found yourself wanting to make a difference?

BJ Ratcliffe is a person who has done just that—she has made a difference.

As a registered dietitian, Ratcliffe knows the importance of fresh foods. She also knows that having access to them can be challenging. Educating the public to the benefits from fresh produce can be a full-time job. That is exactly how she spent many years of her career.

Ratcliffe was a nutrition educator at the Mecklenburg County Health Department for 18 years.