History of

The Food and Beverage Family of Friends

The Food & Beverage Family of Friends began in 2001 as cookie swap at Christmas time between folks in the hospitality industry.  After discovering the amount of leftover cookies and the money that was spent, the group decided that they should put their efforts and money to a much more worthy cause. The Horry County Shelter Home was chosen since one of their friends had already been delivering clothes and toys to the shelter.

The Shelter provides a temporary clean, safe, and homelike environment for abused and neglected children of Horry County.  The children range in age from birth to seventeen. The length of stay is usually limited to ninety days.  There are two homes on the property, one for the girls and one for the boys, both of which were donated years ago when they were moved off the beach.  As one might expect, the houses are in need of constant maintenance because of their age and the wear and tear of as many as 28 children at any one time.  Our inaugural benefit in 2002 raised money to buy and build a new playground for the kids.  In 2003, we raised money and replaced the heating and air unit along with the ductwork in the girls’ home. The carpet in the girls’ home was also replaced.  In 2004, doors and frames were replaced, a bike path was paved around the property, and both homes were pressure washed.  In 2005, we replaced all of the furniture in the boys’ home, (bed frames, nightstands, dressers, and all the living space furniture) as well as a large dining room table in the girls’ home.

At this point, the Family of Friends began to realize how great the needs of the shelter home really are.  We changed our focus and began saving the money raised in order to build a new facility.  We intend to solve the problems of the dated present buildings by replacing them instead of constantly repairing them.  It was like putting a band-aid on a broken leg.  We are also working to acquire new property for the home.  Presently, the shelter home is situated on very low swampy land directly on congested Hwy. 90 and in front of a county landfill.  Not only is this dangerous but also unacceptable for the children of our county.  These kids deserve better.  This is why we continue to raise money for the home through our Christmas gala and most recently, our inaugural charity golf tournament in June 2007.  The last two years we have raised over $62,000.00 for the building fund.  We also became a licensed non-profit organization during this time.  All of our members are volunteers; there are no salaries.  We raise money strictly for the Horry County Shelter Home, so all donations and receipts stay here to benefit our local children.  Please help us in this cause by participating, attending, donating, or volunteering.  Thank you!