Community

"You have to hold yourself accountable for your actions, and that’s how we’re going to protect the Earth." — Julia Butterfly Hill

Below is information about various community services available on campus and resources for improving water efficiency, reducing waste, and maximizing energy efficiency at home.

• The Food Box is a donation-based food pantry located at 308 Dalton Hall serving the Winthrop community with no questions asked. In addition to shelf-stable food, The Food Box offers personal care items such as toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, feminine products, and a small assortment of gently-used women's clothing. Donations such as food and personal care items are always welcome and dropped off in the box outside the department main office, 302 Dalton Hall.  The Food Box hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Appointments can be made online or by phone.
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a community of individuals who support a network of local farms by purchasing produce grown in the surrounding community.  Below are three local CSA's that deliver produce to Winthrop University.   
  • Wild Hope Farm based in Chester, South Carolina runs on a 14-week cycle and has pick-up locations including Rock Hill, Charlotte, Matthews, or from their farm location.
  • Bush-N-Vine is based in York, South Carolina, and offers five CSA seasons: Spring, Summer I, Summer II, Fall, and Winter.  Pick-up locations include Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Sun City, Lancaster, Lake Wylie, Clover, Belmont, and Charlotte.  Their website includes delivery schedules.
  • The Catawba Fresh Market is like an online market.  The program does not require a weekly order and individuals choose the items they want.
• The Rock Hill Educational Community Garden, at 954 Constitution Boulevard is sponsored by Winthrop University, the City of Rock Hill, Master Gardeners of York County, and Wholespire (formerly Eat Smart Move More of South Carolina and York County).  The RHECG is a partnership that provides Winthrop University faculty, staff, students, City of Rock Hill associates, Master Gardeners, Charitable Organizations, private citizens, and other interested parties an area where they can raise their selection of vegetables and fruits.  A portion of the produce grown shall be donated to organizations that provide food to the community.  Visitors are welcome Saturday 9-10 am. 
• Improving water efficiency:
  • The City of Rock Hill Water Conservation provides practices that help with energy and water conservation.
  • EPA WaterSense is a voluntary partnership program that is both a label for water-efficient products and a resource for helping save water.  
• Reducing waste:
  • City of Rock Hill Recycling is collected in blue bins at the curb on the same day as residential garbage.  For information about what can be recycled, refer to the Rock Hill Recycling & Solid Waste Reference Guide.
  • York County Solid Waste Collection and Recycling operate sixteen Collection and Recycling Centers available to all York County residents.  Refer to the website for information about what recyclables are accepted.
  • call2recycle is an online source to locate sites that accept batteries for recycling.
  • Earth911 is a searchable database to identify sites that recycle different items.
• Maximizing energy efficiency:
  • Duke Energy provides information on how to increase energy efficiency and offering a free home energy audit for eligible homeowners. 
  • The City of Rock Hill Energy Conservation provides practices that promote energy and water conservation.
  • York County Natural Gas provides practices that promote energy conservation.
  • Energy Saver is the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) consumer resource for saving energy and using renewable energy technologies at home.
  • Piedmont Municipal Power Agency (PMPA) is a joint-action agency incorporated in 1979. The agency was formed by and continues to provide wholesale electric services to ten municipal utilities in the upstate of South Carolina.