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COLUMBIA (WACH) -- Dozens of midlands residents spent their lunch hour at the Main Street Nickelodeon Theater in Downtown Columbia Thursday.

Instead of catching a movie or snacking on food, they were giving money to the Harvest Hope Food Bank as part of the second ever "Hold out for Hunger" campaign. The event asks residents to donate money that would normally go to buying lunch.

Donors like Carter Davis, who is the Office Manager at the Inn at USC, said his company always tries to help organizations.

"Community outreach is very, very big for us. Any opportunity we have to give back and to better others who are not in position where they can help themselves, we like to do that," said Davis.

Davis's company donated $150. Donors also watched a short film about the importance of helping fellow South Carolinians.

Harvest Hope Chairman Jesse Pikus said times have been tough lately.

"The last few years have been difficult for the food bank because there have been so many unemployed people who are in need of the services the food bank offers," said Pikus.

Pikus said that for every one dollar coming in, that is enough to feed seven meals for needy families in Columbia. And with the holiday season coming, he hopes the food bank's resources will not be stretched too thin again.

"The holidays are definitely a time where it is on a lot of people's minds. They are thinking about others, they are thinking about hose who need the food in order to celebrate," said Pikus.

Davis hopes others help to in the season of giving.

"We do have to take care of our own. But you have to realize there are others less fortunate than us. And if you have an opportunity to do something about it, I think you definitely should. You just do not see it as much as you used to," said Davis.