Posted in: Lawyers Young Lawyers Division

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More than 2,000 pounds of food. That’s enough for 40,000 meals. Thanks to the efforts of the SC Bar Young Lawyers Division Community Law Week committee in its first Feeding Frenzy donation drive, many South Carolinians in need will have food on their tables this summer.

“When planning the Feeding Frenzy, we noticed a trend where there was a surplus of donations during the holiday season, and the lack of donations during the summer months,” says Paige Ornduff, co-chair of the project and an attorney at Gallivan White Boyd in Charleston. “It’s particularly challenging for food banks during the summer because the children who rely on their school for food are without that crucial resource. This strain on the foodbanks was one of the driving factors that inspired us to do this summer initiative.”

Ornduff, along with co-chair Ashley Johnson, saw that food banks needed help with monetary donations and replenishing their stock after the major holidays. They decided a targeted donation drive they dubbed the South Carolina Legal Feeding Frenzy was the best way to help.

“It was amazing to witness our Bar come together to donate over 40,000 meals to South Carolinians in need. Harvest Hope Food Bank has such an important mission, and I hope that we can reach even more people in the years to come through the Feeding Frenzy,” says Johnson, who practices at Robinson Gray in Columbia.

Overall, the first ever South Carolina Legal Feeding Frenzy—which challenged law firms and legal organization to compete against one another—raised $5,937.23, made 40,299 meals and donated 2,836 pounds of food to Harvest Hope Food Bank, Lowcountry Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and Golden Harvest food bank.

The individual standout team, Gallivan, White & Boyd, P.A., won the YLD President’s Award for the most points with the score of 10,559 total points. The Law Office of Tasha J. Kotz also took the prize of the SC Legal Feeding Frenzy Cup for most points earned per employee with 536 points each.

Law firms and legal organizations participated from all corners of the state. Teams were encouraged to donate, volunteer and raise awareness for food banks through some friendly competition between firms, agencies, schools and offices. Four points were given for every $1 raised, and one point was given for every pound of food donated. Bonus points were also given for teams who volunteered at local food banks, registered early, made social media posts and delivered their own food to the drive.

“This year was a good first step in creating an initiative with lifelong impact on the community. We hope that in the future that we can expand this event to involve even more participants and help even more people in the community who are in need,” says Ornduff.

The category winners are below:

  • Large Firm: McAngus Goudelock & Courie: 4,760 pts
  • Medium Firm: Carlock Copeland & Stair: 2,256 pts
  • Small Firm: Adams & Reese: 5,065 pts
  • Judicial: South Carolina Judicial Department: 660 pts
  • Public Interest/Government: Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office: 595 pts

Thank you to the participating organizations that made the inaugural SCLFF such a success:
• Adams & Reese LLP • Bowman & Brooke LLP • Burnette Shutt & McDaniel • Carlock Copeland & Stair • Clawson & Staubes (GVL) • Cobb Dill & Hammett LLC • Cromer Babb Porter & Hicks, LLC • DeMott Law Firm, PA • Fisher & Phillips • David Aylor Law Offices • Fifth Circuit Solicitor's Office • Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office • Fourteenth Circuit Public Defender’s Office • Gaffney Lewis • Gallivan White & Boyd, P.A. • Jackson Lewis P.C. • Law Office of Margaret S. Day, LLC • Lueder Larkin & Hunter, LLC • McAngus Goudelock Courie• Nexsen Pruet (Columbia) • Office of Disciplinary Counsel • Robinson Gray • SC Judicial Branch • Steinberg Law Firm • The Law Office of Tasha J. Kotz, LLC •