Advocacy in Action: How We Delivered for South Carolina’s Kids

Meet Dr. LaShandra Morgan – a mom of two, health equity advocate and unstoppable champion for South Carolina’s children.  

LaShandra joined forces with Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) in 2022, driven by the belief that every family deserves access to nutritious food – no matter where they live.  

Just a year later, she took the stage at our Advocacy Summit in Orangeburg to share her research on food insecurity in rural communities. By 2024, she inspired her son to testify on the importance of school meals, too.  

During the 2025 legislative session, LaShandra led 10 advocates to the Statehouse on SCAN’s Day of Action, securing Governor McMaster’s signature on a bill called School Meals for Children Living in Poverty (S. 425)! 

S. 425 expands access to free school breakfast and lunch and requires schools to track how many students are living in poverty, so no child is left behind.  

This win didn’t happen overnight – it was the result of countless hours of passion and persistence. To help secure this victory and make progress toward others, this year, South Carolina advocates and staff also:  

• Engaged with over 40 lawmakers  
• Organized 16 community events, wrote 170 postcards and delivered 310 valentines as part of our annual Have a Heart campaign  
• Sent 130 emails to policymakers 
• Trained 15 volunteers in key advocacy skills 
• Spoke up for kids on South Carolina Public Radio and ABC 4 Charleston 
• Hosted a two-day advocacy experience for three dozen volunteers  

Together, we pushed for a bold slate of policies like expanding tax credits for child care professionals, preventing preschool suspensions and eliminating taxes on baby food. These proposals didn’t make it across the finish line, but SCAN and our coalition partners aren’t backing down! 

The most powerful force for change is everyday people protecting their communities –and the passage of S. 425 is proof.  

Want to join us? Learn more about becoming a SCAN volunteer!