Shelves, wallets near empty at Surfside Beach aid agency

The cupboards are almost bare at Helping Hand in Surfside Beach.

The aid organization is "dangerously low" on food, said Karen Wood, the food coordinator.

"We're just about down to being bare," she said. "We have not one bag of grits on the shelf."

Wood said donations to the organization are about average, but the demand for services is way up.

"The people coming in have definitely, definitely increased," she said. "Lots of new clients."

Helping Hand has four branches in the Myrtle Beach area, and all offer food, clothing and assistance with bills for needy families.

Wood said the Surfside Beach branch of the organization serves about 75 families a week.

But she said they're having to put less food in the bags they give each family to stretch their supplies.

"We're cutting way down," she said.

Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach is also "scraping the bottom of the barrel," said Adrian Weatherwax, executive director.

Weatherwax said the Myrtle Beach branch is low on food and other donations.

"We're seeing so many people," she said. "We're just seeing record numbers. Every day we're setting a new record."

She said on Monday alone 170 people came through the doors.

"The need is just out there," she said.

In August 2,429 people came to the Myrtle Beach branch, 530 more than last August, Weatherwax said.

She said a lot of senior citizens are coming to Helping Hands for their utility bills.

"It's been so hot," she said. "Last month we had 75 people that needed help with their electric bill."