There were so many items delivered to Sunset Avenue School that Tripp Gillespie had to climb into the trunk the get some out.
                                 Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

There were so many items delivered to Sunset Avenue School that Tripp Gillespie had to climb into the trunk the get some out.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>Olivia Gillespie carries some of the food items inside Sunset Avenue School as part of her ongoing 10-year birthday project ‘Insecure No More.’</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

Olivia Gillespie carries some of the food items inside Sunset Avenue School as part of her ongoing 10-year birthday project ‘Insecure No More.’

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>Olivia Gillespie’s grandmother Gloria helps bring in items, which she’s always done since the beginning.</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

Olivia Gillespie’s grandmother Gloria helps bring in items, which she’s always done since the beginning.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>Perry and Tripp Gillespie bring in even more food items from ‘Insecure No More.’ The project runs until Aug. 5 and they’ve already received around 4,000 items.</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

Perry and Tripp Gillespie bring in even more food items from ‘Insecure No More.’ The project runs until Aug. 5 and they’ve already received around 4,000 items.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>Sabrina Thomas is a custodian at Sunset Avenue and has been part of ‘Insecure No More’ since the start, helping bring in items and giving updates on students’ favorite items.</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

Sabrina Thomas is a custodian at Sunset Avenue and has been part of ‘Insecure No More’ since the start, helping bring in items and giving updates on students’ favorite items.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>These are only a few of the items brought to Sunset Avenue School on Tuesday as part of the first delivery of ‘Insecure No More.’</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

These are only a few of the items brought to Sunset Avenue School on Tuesday as part of the first delivery of ‘Insecure No More.’

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

Helping feed children has been an ongoing passion for Clinton High Alumni Olivia Gillespie, a mission to which she’s dedicated herself for 10 years through her birthday project “Insecure No More.”

As Gillespie’s been doing since she was 10 years old, she delivered a host of food items to Sunset Avenue on Tuesday. “Insecure No More” is a project Gillespie started at that young age as a way to help feed her peers of the Clinton City Schools system. After seeing that need, she requested help from her family to start the project on her 10th birthday instead of receiving a birthday present.

She hasn’t stopped since.

The collected food she receives goes toward Backpack Buddies, a program dedicated to providing lower-income families food bags for the weekends when students are away from school.

While she’s been steadfast in keeping her project alive, this year’s is a bittersweet moment. It marks her final year of doing “Insecure No More” now that she’s a full-time student at the University of South Carolina majoring in Political Science.

After doing this for so long she’d share her thoughts on all she’s accomplished and her feeling on this year being her final year doing “Insecure No More.”

“I feel good and proud of myself, plus everything my family has done to help me get here with the project — it’s in such a great place right now,” she said. “I’m really happy that it got this far and got this big.”

“It’s kind of sad also; I was a little girl when I started this project and now I’m almost 20,” she said. “It’s crazy to think that I’ve grown up with this project and it’s grown up with me. I’ve always liked going on the shopping trips with my family to get the items, then talking at my church, plus putting it on Facebook and Instagram and all those places to get the donation.”

“It’s just been fun and I’m glad I get to give back to my community.”

This may have been Gillespie’s final year of running “Insecure No More,” but the project won’t fade away now that her time’s ending. That’s thanks to her younger brother, Tripp who is just 10 and is being passed the torch by his sister.

“I’m glad I get to pass it on to my brother because I’ve been doing this every year and I don’t want it to stop,” she said. “This food helps the schools prepare for the school year which gives them a headstart to kickstart the year, so I want it to keep going. That’s why I’m glad to give it over to my brother for him to do it, maybe for the next 10 years. What to do after I’m not sure, but we’ll see.”

While Tripp didn’t say much he did share a few words about taking over “Insecure No More.”

“I feel good and I’m hoping this will be able to continue to get people more food,” he said.

Since starting this project, Gillespie has collected nearly 60,000 items and after only her first delivery this year, she’s collected nearly 4,000 already. The project is also running longer this year, ending on Aug. 5, so the potential haul for items could be its biggest yet.

As someone who’s seen firsthand the positive impact of “Insecure No More” on the students at Sunset Avenue School, Sabrina Thomas shared these words.

“I just want to say that she does a great job,” Thomas said. “Since I’ve been here with her, she’s been coming every year and has been determined. She’s really making these kids happy. The whole family, praise God, they are doing a great job and I just want to say that the kids love it and I thank them so much.”

“There’s a lot of kids who don’t have that snack or food in their house and this makes a difference,” she added. “You could’ve easily walked by and done nothing, but you didn’t and you’ve helped take care of these kids. I can’t say thank you enough.”

Thomas is a custodian at Sunset Avenue who’s been helping bring in the food items since the start. She’s also been important to “Insecure No More” as she’s continued to provide valuable information to the Gillespies on the students’ favorite items to receive from the project.

Gillespie’s father Perry has also been a part of “Insecure No More” since it’s start helping her collect and deliver the food.

“I remember when she came home, the year we started this, she didn’t understand why the kids were leaving and then coming back with food,” he said. “Then, once we explained it to her, and since she’s always been so empathetic, there was something that she wanted to do about it.”

“Other people around the community had done similar stuff for their birthday and so I said, you know, some people will do this for their birthday instead of presents,” he added. “After that, she told us, ‘I think I want to do the food,’ and we’ve been doing it ever since.”

“She’s just made me so proud and I couldn’t be more proud of all she’s done.”

Though she’ll no longer be involved with “Insecure No More,” her passion in helping feed the less fortunate hasn’t and won’t stop. Now in her second year at South Carolina, Gillespie found out that her school has a food pantry, where she volunteers twice a week. Not only that, but she plans to deliver some of the food items she’d received from her project to that food pantry, where she gets to see the impact of the food herself.

“It’s been cool being a part of the pantry; it’s like I get to bring the project to college with me,” she said. “I plan on donating some of the items I collect this year to the Gamecock pantry because they also really need it. Plus, I got to actually see the students come in and get the items, so that was pretty cool to see.”

Gillespie left with words of gratitude, thanking all those who helped make her dream for “Insecure No More” come true.

“I just want to thank my community, my church family at Grove Park, my parents, Perry and Anna Gillespie, my Mimi, Gloria Gillespie and, of course, my brother Tripp for all his help,” she said. “I also have to thank my sister Evan for all she’s done. She’s always helped with the project, gone on the trips and always helps bring and deliver the food. She’s at the beach right now and couldn’t be here, but I just thank her and everyone else in the community that’s been a part of growing ‘Insecure No More.’”

Reach Michael B. Hardison at 910-249-4231. Follow us on Twitter at @SamsponInd, like us on Facebook, and check out our Instagram at @thesampsonindependent.