WINNSBORO — A recent Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce meeting served as a wake-up call for local business owner Mark Wyatt.
During the June Chamber breakfast, Sharon Spicciati of the Fairfield Community Food Bank spoke to attendees about the Weekend Food Backpack program. The initiative provides meals for students in the county who are identified as homeless—a demographic Wyatt admitted he didn’t realize was so prevalent in the local school system.
“I was not aware that we have homeless children in all our schools,” Wyatt said. “I find it unbelievable that the only nutritious meals these kids often get are at school. It was a disturbing revelation, and I wanted to pitch in and help.”
In response, the Winnsboro office of The Wyatt Agency donated $5,000 to the backpack program. The funding is intended to bridge the gap for students who may otherwise go without consistent meals between Friday afternoon and Monday morning.
The Wyatt Agency has been a fixture in the region since it was founded by Mark’s father, Ron Wyatt, in 1966. Now a family-owned operation run by Mark and his two sisters, the agency has spent the last decade making annual contributions to local nonprofits at the end of their fiscal year in June. While the Winnsboro office focused on the food bank, the agency’s offices in Union and Chester also distributed funds to various local charities, including the YMCA, 4-H, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Wyatt noted that the decision to give back is rooted in the success the communities have provided his family over the decades.
“These communities helped make us successful,” he said. “While we cannot repay individuals directly, we can pay it forward by helping others.”
Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce President Stacy Hare said the donation highlights a broader characteristic of the area. While the county may not have the highest per-capita income, Hare noted that the community is “rich in citizens willing to step up when there is a need.”
The backpack program is designed to create a direct link between those looking to help and students in immediate need. With the new school year approaching, Wyatt is challenging other local business leaders to look closely at the issues facing the county’s youth.
“Now that we know this problem exists, we cannot ignore it,” Wyatt said. “Rather than turn away, we should ask, ‘If not us, who?’”
For more information on the food bank’s initiatives, contact Sharon Spicciati at sspicciati@outlook.com or (630) 248.5323.