Project Host
Website: projecthost.org
Address: 525 S. Academy St., Greenville, SC 29601
Phone: 864-235-3403
Facebook handle: facebook.com/projecthostgvl
Instagram handle: @projecthostgvl
Established date: Jan. 5, 1981
Number of employees: 12
Service area: Primarily outskirts of downtown Greenville
Funding Sources
- 55% private sources (individuals, churches, businesses)
- 20% events and social enterprise
- 15% grants
- 6% investment earnings
- 4% federal reimbursement
Mission Statement
Project Host uses food as a tool to nourish the hungry and train the unemployed. The organization believes food insecurity can only be addressed by the whole community, and it engages Greenville residents in every step of the process. The programs support one another, and all of them focus on giving back to the wider Greenville community.
At the South Academy location, the organization provides 80 to 140 people with free hot lunches six days a week. Through the food truck free meal outreach and Cooking for Kids after-school programs, Project Host’s reach extends across Greenville County.
Project Host’s culinary school and internship program trains and educates adults in the Greenville area. Culinary students prepare meals for the Cooking for Kids program and have the opportunity to intern and work in the bakery and on the HostMobile food truck.
Impact
In 2023, Project Host:
- Served 31,583 meals in the soup kitchen
- Served 18,915 free lunches from the HostMobile food truck
- Delivered 9,825 meals to evening meal partners
In addition, Project Host students:
- Prepared 47,052 healthy meals and snacks for area children
- Prepared 28,106 rolls and pizza doughs for bakery partners
Project Host also harvests and delivers more than 2,000 pounds of produce from their garden.
Volunteer Opportunities
Project Host’s Soup Kitchen and Gardening for Good programs depend on hundreds of volunteers who donate their time and talents each year.
In the soup kitchen, volunteers prep, cook, serve and clean, and help put away donations and organize the pantries. Project Host also needs volunteers to assist with weeding, harvesting and tending the garden. The program also serves as a pipeline to the CC Pearce Culinary School.
Volunteer for the Gardening for Good program that cultivates homegrown produce that provides nutritional value to the meals.
Support is often needed for special projects and special events.
For more information, reach out to info@projecthost.org.
Leadership
Tobin Simpson, CEO
Michelle Liggett, COO
Board of Directors
Rebecca Whittam, board chair, ScanSource
Leila Aziz, vice chair, General Electric
Christen Clinkscales, secretary, Christen Clinkscales LLC.
Bradley Cox, treasurer, Park National Bank
Greg Bell, Thomas Concrete
Wally Dant, Berkadia
Tyler Mink, Shopify
Meghan Riordan, Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd
Jill Mashburn, Fluor
Wendi Rogers, USPS
Bobby Vine, Harper Construction
Shivani Nadarajah, Cytiva
Khailing Neoh, Sum Bar
Cheryl Wiggins, Fluor (retired)
Fundraisers and Events
Events allow the organization to engage with the wider Greenville community, raise awareness about the issue of hunger, and raise money to support the free meal and training programs. These social enterprises, in turn, invite the Greenville community to eat, drink and be merry — all while giving back to Project Host.
Events include:
- A monthly community dinner with a three-course meal that showcases the culinary team and students’ talents
- Plant sale each April
- Barbecue cook-off and festival each September
Giving Opportunities
Project Host accepts donations of time/volunteering, money to support the overall mission, and canned goods and produce for the soup kitchen. The website, projecthost.org/donate, provides all the various ways to donate.
