2,000 Families Served
Today, I write with deep gratitude and a full heart: we have reached a powerful milestone — 2,000 families across South Carolina have received groceries through our Neighbors Helping Neighbors food distribution program. This is more than a number. It’s a testament to what we can do when we come together, rooted in service, solidarity, and compassion.
Thank You From the Bottom of My Heart
To every one of you who donated, volunteered, spread the word, prayed for us, or simply believed in this effort — thank you. Your generosity has moved mountains. Because of you, we’ve been able to put food in the hands of people who needed it, moms and dads, children and seniors, in small towns and big cities across our state. You showed up. You cared. And together, we’ve made a concrete difference.
Why We Started And Why We Keep Going
Many of you know how this all began. Our food distribution program was born out of crisis, in response to the federal government shutdown that threatened to disrupt critical support for families who already struggled to make ends meet. But this wasn’t just about reacting to a moment. It was about showing who we are: a campaign built on people over politics, on service above all else.
We recognized that hunger in South Carolina is not a new problem. Long before the shutdown, too many people were food-insecure, especially in rural communities where opportunities have historically been scarce. The shutdown made that pain worse, but it didn’t create it. The root issues were already there: generational poverty, economic disinvestment, and systems that all too often leave rural and under-resourced communities behind.
Since November 1, my team and I have held grocery distribution events in Fairfax, Orangeburg, Islandton, Darlington, Columbia, Lancaster, and Chester. We’ve met families, listened to their stories, and learned their needs. What began as a relief effort has become a bridge connecting our campaign to people, not just as voters but as neighbors, as friends, as fellow South Carolinians.
This Tuesday: Hollywood, SC
I’m excited to announce that this Tuesday, we will host a food and turkey giveaway event in Hollywood, SC, alongside Mayor Chardale Murray. We expect to serve hundreds of people that day. These are families who too often are left out, even when need is greatest. It’s going to be a special day, built on partnership and community.
Why This Matters for the Campaign
Feeding people is not just a charity moment. For me, it’s a statement of principle. My campaign is rooted in the belief that public service should uplift people first, and that politics should heal, not divide.
We are running for more than votes. We are running so that no family in South Carolina ever feels forgotten or invisible.
This feeding program reflects that mission. It’s a practical way to restore dignity, offer help, and build trust. But it’s also symbolic — a reminder that our campaign stands with you in your struggles, shares your dreams, and cares deeply about your future.
Facing South Carolina’s Economic Reality
These 2,000 families are part of a much larger story. South Carolina is still grappling with deep economic challenges. According to the Economic Policy Institute, as of 2023, 13.9% of South Carolinians live below the poverty line, and the state’s child poverty rate is even higher, at 19.1%.
Rural counties are especially hard hit. While statewide poverty hovers near 14%, some rural areas face poverty rates above 24%. The systemic barriers — lack of access to transportation, broadband, child care, and good-paying jobs — continue to trap too many families in generational cycles of economic insecurity.
We also see from the State of Working South Carolina report that nearly one in five workers earn less than $15/hour, and many of the jobs projected to grow in the coming decade don’t pay more than $20/hour. The MIT Living Wage Calculator estimates that a single adult in South Carolina needs approximately $22.15 per hour to cover basic needs. These are not just statistics — they are real people in real need.
My Vision to Move Forward With Purpose
Here’s how our campaign will work to address South Carolina’s deep economic challenges — not just by giving out food, but by building long-term solutions rooted in dignity, fairness, and opportunity:
Economic Investment in Rural Communities
Expand access to capital for small businesses through partnerships with institutions like local credit unions and the South Carolina Community Loan Fund.
Advocate for infrastructure investments, including broadband, transportation, and healthcare access, so rural families are no longer cut off from opportunity.
Workforce Development, Fair Wages, and Worker Rights
Lift the federal minimum wage starting at $15/hour on a road to a living wage, ensuring families can earn a living — not just survive.
End anti-worker “Right to Work” laws, which have suppressed wages for decades and weakened workers’ ability to bargain for safer workplaces and fair pay.
Expand vocational training, apprenticeships, and career readiness programs so workers can enter high-growth fields with real pathways to the middle class.
Lowering Costs for Working Families
End Donald Trump’s reckless tariff war, which raised prices on everyday essentials for South Carolina families. It’s time to restore stability, repair relationships with our allies, and bring down the cost of living.
Restore the expanded Child Tax Credit, which lifted millions of children out of poverty and kept families afloat during hard times.
Protecting Social Security and Building Wealth
Secure Social Security by raising the income cap so millionaires pay their fair share and the program stays strong for the next generation.
Implement Vice President Kamala Harris’s plans for first-time homebuyers and small business owners, opening the door to generational wealth-building and helping more families plant permanent roots in their communities.
Strengthening the Social Safety Net
Guarantee that access to food, healthcare, and child care is not a privilege for the few but a right for every South Carolinian.
Improve access to resources in medically underserved areas, especially in rural counties that have endured years of disinvestment.
Community-Led Solutions
Empower local leaders, churches, nonprofits, and grassroots organizers to design solutions that meet their community’s specific needs, because those closest to the problem often know the path forward to the solution.
Let’s Keep Feeding & Building
We’ve done something remarkable together: fed 2,000 families. Let’s keep going. Here are a few ways you can stay involved:
Join us on Tuesday in Hollywood. Volunteer, bring a friend, help serve your neighbors.
Donate or help fundraise. Your support enables us to sustain and expand these events.
Spread the word. Share this Substack with others — your voice is powerful.
Stay connected. Share with us what your community needs. What would help your town, your block, or your neighbors thrive?
Closing Thoughts
When I decided to run for office, I said I would put people and service above politics. This feeding program is not a side project — it’s part of the beating heart of my campaign. It’s how we live our values out loud.
We started this because people were hurting. We’ve reached 2,000 families because of you. But we won’t stop here.
There is more work to do. More communities to reach. More barriers to tear down.
Together, we’ll keep building a future where every South Carolinian has a shot — where no one is left behind, especially in our rural communities, in our small towns, in our homes.
Because this isn’t just a campaign — it’s a movement to do politics differently. No more transactional strategies or recycled playbooks that keep producing losses. We’re building a people-first movement focused on real solutions and real impact for South Carolina families.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Let’s keep going!
In solidarity,
Brandon Brown
U.S. Senate Candidate, South Carolina
This campaign doesn’t take corporate PAC money. It’s powered by people like you who still believe that truth matters, fairness matters, and democracy matters. Brandon Brown is running to build a South Carolina — and an America — where justice is blind, freedom is sacred, and every voice counts.
thank you for your campaign . Your campaign restores our hope that quality leaders (leaders with integrity) will come forward.
I applaud your efforts. I experienced hunger as a child. But your goals are too modest. Striving to raise the minimum wage To $15.00 when a minimum of $22 is required strikes me as a nothing burger.