Olivia Gillespie arranges donations for her birthday project, ‘Insecure No More.’
                                 Chase Jordan | Sampson Independent

Olivia Gillespie arranges donations for her birthday project, ‘Insecure No More.’

Chase Jordan | Sampson Independent

<p>Community members donate food to help children in the community.</p>
                                 <p>Chase Jordan | Sampson Independent</p>

Community members donate food to help children in the community.

Chase Jordan | Sampson Independent

<p>Olivia Gillespie unloads food with the help of family members and friends.</p>
                                 <p>Chase Jordan | Sampson Independent</p>

Olivia Gillespie unloads food with the help of family members and friends.

Chase Jordan | Sampson Independent

For her 17th birthday, Olivia Gillespie was happy to use the special day to fight hunger in the community.

With the help of family, friends and supporters, she carried a lot of food into Sunset Avenue School. Gillespie started collecting when she was 10 years old for her project “Insecure No More” to help feed students from Clinton City Schools. The donations are going toward Backpack Buddies, a program that provides students from low-income families with bags of food for the weekend when they’re away from school.

“This is my eighth year doing this, so I feel really good and I feel that I’m growing each year,” she said. “This year, I already hit my goal from last and I still have a whole month this year.”

As of Wednesday, almost 5,000 items were collected for the birthday project. Gillespie is preparing to start her senior year at Clinton High School. She celebrated her birthday with family and friends on June 26.

Parents and students throughout the nation are facing unprecedented times due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the impact on local education. Programs such as “Insecure No More” and Backpack Buddies will be needed more than ever as students deal with social distance learning, Gillespie and others said.

“I feel that it’s definitely going to be needed this year since we’re in this pandemic,” she said. “There’s not a great access to food right now. I feel better because I’m helping out people as much as I can, especially people in my community.”

Sabrina Pridgen, a custodian supervisor at Sunset Elementary, was glad to see the food arrive.

“They’re doing a great job and it means a lot to the community,” Pridgen said. “Some kids don’t have enough food to eat in the house. I just want to thank them. We got a community who pulls together to feed our children.”

Along with donors, Gillespie also received assistance from her parents, Perry and Anna Gillespie; grandmother “Meme”, Gloria Gillespie; brother, Tripp; sister, Evan; her aunt, Stacie Gillespie from Clinton Medical Clinic; and members from Grove Park Baptist Church.

The collection period will continue through July 31. Those wanting to make a donation can do so through Venmo to @Anna-Gillespie-24.

Reach Chase Jordan at 910-249-4617. Follow us on Twitter at @SampsonInd and like us on Facebook.