Our Programs
SIHAF directly manages three programs on Johns and Wadmalaw Islands; Sea Islands Blessing Basket, Water Wellness Mission, and Crockpot Cooking.
Sea Islands Blessing Basket
The Blessing Basket is a volunteer outreach program of the Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation, serving low-income individuals and families on Johns and Wadmalaw Islands.
Its mission is simple but vital: to provide healthy, quality, nourishing groceries to neighbors in need. Each Blessing Basket is filled with fresh produce, quality meat, eggs, butter, bread, and nutritious pantry staples with enough food to help nourish a family for approximately two weeks.
But what our guests receive is more than groceries. They receive dignity, compassion, and the reassurance that their community has not forgotten them.
Baskets are distributed on the second Saturday of each month. For more information, contact Dave Berry at blessingbasket@sihaf.org.
Water Wellness Mission
Imagine living in a house with no clean, running water. No water for drinking, cooking, or for washing clothes. Until the Water Wellness Mission was established, many families on Johns and Wadmalaw islands were forced to purchase or live without clean water every day.
Established in 2017, SIHAF’s Water Wellness Mission volunteers have installed approximately 300 wells for families that did not have clean water. Today, every family in need on the islands has a well that provides clean water to their home and the focus of the Water Wellness Mission has evolved to maintaining the wells previously installed.
For more information, contact John Carpenter at jcarpenter1313@gmail.com or 309-648-8249.
Crockpot Cooking
Since 2014, the Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation has helped Johns Island children, adults, and seniors gain the knowledge and confidence to prepare healthy, affordable meals through its Crockpot Cooking Program.
Founded by Dr. Barbara Griffin, the program has served more than 650 participants through hands-on nutrition education and practical cooking instruction. In 2025, under the leadership of Program Director Melanie Jangro, the curriculum was redesigned with updated nutrition lessons, interactive activities, bilingual (English/Spanish) materials, and engaging games.
Today, SIHAF offers five-week adult workshops in partnership with Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach while expanding children’s programming through local churches and community organizations. Participants learn healthy meal planning, budget-friendly grocery shopping, food safety, and how to prepare simple, nutritious slow-cooker meals. Each graduate receives a crockpot, measuring cups and spoons, basic kitchen utensils, and spices to continue cooking healthy meals at home.
More than a cooking class, the Crockpot Cooking Program empowers families to make healthier food choices, stretch their grocery budgets, and build lifelong habits that promote better health, greater independence, and a stronger community.
To volunteer or learn more, contact Program Director Melanie Jangro at crockpot@sihaf.org.
