FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Donna B. Ragan, Donor Relations, Marketing & Communication Manager
Phone: 704-805-1724
Email: dragan@secondharvestmetrolina.org
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina to Launch "The Free Market" Emergency Student Food Pantry to Combat Campus Hunger at Clinton College
New Initiative Launches Multi-School Pilot Program Addressing Collegiate Food Insecurity Across York and Lancaster Counties
WHAT: The Grand Opening and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for The Free Market at Clinton College, a brand-new emergency food pantry dedicated to serving students facing food insecurity. The Free Market is part of a broader collegiate pilot program spearheaded by Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina (SHFBM) for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The pilot program will operate across four college campuses in York and Lancaster counties — York Technical College, Clinton College, USC Lancaster and Winthrop University.
Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion’s hunger-relief platform, is a sponsor of the pilot program and will help support three mobile food distributions and two pantry restocks at each school.
WHO:
- Dr. Pamela Richardson Wilks, President of Clinton College
- Kay Carter, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
- Kevin Durkee, Marketing Manager for Food Lion Feeds
- Invited local dignitaries, including city and county council members and mayoral representatives (invited/unconfirmed).
WHEN:
- Thursday, August 27, 2026
- 9:00 AM: Ribbon-cutting ceremony and formal remarks
- Immediately Following: Guided media tour of the pantry and student distribution event
WHERE: Clinton College Campus, 1029 Crawford Road, Rock Hill, SC 29730
(Specific on-campus pantry location details to follow at check-in)
VISUALS & MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
- Ribbon-Cutting: Dr. Wilks, Kay Carter, and Kevin Durkee cutting the opening ribbon.
- Student Impact: Visuals of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina staff distributing food-filled backpacks directly to students for the upcoming fall semester.
- Facility Tour: Inside footage of the brand-new, fully stocked "Free Market" emergency pantry.
- On-Site Atmosphere: Local student interactions and celebratory presence of an on-site smoothie truck.
- Interviews: One-on-one interview opportunities with college leadership, food bank executives, and program sponsors regarding regional food equity.
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About Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
As part of Feeding America, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina - serves 24 counties in North and South Carolina. In FY 2025-2026, Second
Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina distributed almost 94 million pounds of food and household items, which included over 63 million pounds in fresh produce, meat, and dairy, to over 950 hunger feeding agencies including emergency pantries, soup kitchens, senior programs, shelters and low-income daycares. Follow the Food Bank on: Facebook, X, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube.