Published July 08. 2007 3:30AM Print     

Vacation leftovers get 2nd chance

By Shelby Sebens
Staff Writer
shelby.sebens@starnewsonline.com

 

Holden Beach | "They've got them lined up, Don."

"As far as you can see," Don Downs replied to Bill Spier as they watched cars queue up on Ocean Boulevard for a mass exit of the island on Saturday.

Every Saturday - the island's turnover day for rentals - Spier, of Charlotte, parks his pickup truck in the Holden Beach Chapel parking lot, props his umbrella and lines his coolers up to collect food from vacationers leaving for their homes in Virginia, Georgia, Ohio and as far away as Utah.

Since July 2005, Spier, who owns a vacation home in Holden Beach, has run his effort, "A Second Helping," to collect pounds of food the visitors cannot finish in their time on the island.

"I just saw a need," he said.

Last year he collected 4,200 pounds of food for the Sharon Methodist Church in Supply and the food pantry at Brunswick Islands Baptist Church on Mount Pisgah Road in Supply. This year he's hoping for 5,000 pounds of food, collecting from early June to Labor Day.

Spier stood next to his pickup truck with his assistant for the day - supply resident Downs of Sharon Methodist Church. His coolers for frozen and refrigerated food are hidden behind the truck so as not to confuse people.

"People think I'm selling shrimp" if they see the coolers, he said.

But Spier's mission is far from selling seafood. He is helping the needy and giving tourists an option other than the garbage can for their unwanted groceries.

"None of us likes to see food wasted," he said.

Vans, sport utility vehicles and cars packed with people and luggage pulled into the parking lot, and visitors from the Midwest to the South thanked Spier and Downs for their good will.

"I think it's great these gentlemen devote their time and energy," said Ray Trax of Ohio after he and his wife handed over their leftovers.

Spier said he gets about 10 to 15 pounds of food per vehicle.

In their downtime from collecting food, Spier and Downs chatted and marveled at the sea of cars coming in and off the small island.

Spier is proud of his humanitarian effort that is modeled after one by The Little Chapel on the Boardwalk in Wrightsville Beach. His license plate says A2NDHLPN, and for Father's Day he received a bright orange cap that also says "A Second Helping."

Spier, who has a Web site for his project, www.secondhelping.us, said promotion is key to getting people to drop off their food.

He distributes fliers at all of the rental agencies in town and has the local chaplain announce the effort at church and print it in the bulletin.

Bill Hogue, director of the Oak Island-Southport food pantry, said his organization tried to no avail to get second helpings from vacationers leaving the island last year and for the past three weeks.

"They don't stop," he said.

But Oak Island Accommodations offers a box for renters to leave their food.

As the boxes and bags of pudding, apples, cheese, lettuce, yogurt, biscuits, chips, bread, veggies, fruit and soda poured in, Spier and Downs were careful to calculate each drop.

By 9:40 a.m. -Spier started at 6:45 a.m.- they had collected 231 pounds and $25 in contributions. Spier said every $1 contribution can buy two pounds of food.

By noon they collected more than 414 pounds of food, less than last Saturday's record of 700 but still a good day.

Shelby Sebens: 755-7963

shelby.sebens@starnewsonline.com