FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — The Duke Energy Foundation presented a $50,000 grant to Harvest Hope Food Bank in Florence to support their ongoing efforts to address food insecurity in the Pee Dee.

The $50,000 check was presented during the grand opening ceremony for Harvest Hope’s new location by Mindy Taylor, the government and community relations director at Duke Energy.

The grant is part of Duke Energy’s monthlong campaign to support organizations that address food insecurities across the state, the company said in a news release.

The initiative will provide nearly $400,000 to more than 60 feeding programs up to Thanksgiving and will support organizations across the state and in the Pee Dee, the release said.

As part of the campaign, Duke Energy employees and retirees will volunteer with organizations that help address food insecurity. The employees and retirees will assist in packing and distributing food boxes to feeding programs in their neighborhoods, the release said.

The CEO of Harvest Food Bank, Erinn Rowe, said the new location has provided the business space they did not have before.

“Its increased our cooler freezer capacity to almost 600 pallet spaces where we really didn’t even have a cooler and freezer before,” she said. “We have five times amount of rack space, dry space, so it’s allowing us to really have the food necessary that we need here in the Pee Dee.”

Harvest Hope was formerly located at 2513 W. Lucas St. and is now located at 2701 Alex Lee Boulevard.