![]() ![]() Hunger is particularly pervasive in the time of COVID-19.Īs Madison observes, “We’ve seen a huge influx in need, but also in support. It’s everyone and everywhere - even in the richest of schools and areas, there’s still plenty of people that are going hungry.” Sure, you can get scholarships to attend the university, but you still have to feed yourself while you’re there. “I went to University of Tennessee and we’ve got a program called Smokey’s Pantry that’s for college students. “I had so many friends in college that used food pantries,” she shared. At the end of the day, healthy food is good and the goal, but we want to include a little compassion back into it.”įor her, this work is personal. We want to make sure that families get food that is nutritious, but also something they actually want to eat, so we include candies, cookies and fun things like that. ![]() Before COVID-19, a lot of our pantries would do a shopping experience where you could go into the center and pick up the food that you want. ![]() Yes, you’re using a food bank, but it’s the same food that I would go buy at the store - not just the rejected cans out of someone’s pantry. “We want to put as much humanity back into food as we can. Second Harvest wants to change that by building close relationships with everyone who enters - and by offering the same kind of food they would have bought in a grocery store. Too often, people enter a food bank feeling a sense of shame. That’s the goal.” This program allows the food bank to distribute fresh food to families in need and help reduce food waste.įor the team at Second Harvest, the goal isn’t just to feed families: it’s also to treat people with dignity. “We’ve got about 7-10 guys on the road at all times,” recounts Madison, “They leave the warehouse with an empty truck and they come back with an empty truck. These items are then distributed directly to families through the food bank’s Food Rescue Program. Food bank employees also drive refrigerated vans to grocery stores and restaurants throughout town to collect fresh foods (like produce) that are deemed “too ugly” or otherwise not fit for sale. Shelf-stable items are taken to Second Harvest’s warehouse where they’re sorted and distributed to the organization’s partner agencies: a network of over 550 food pantries, shelters, and churches. Stores like Publix donate both funds and unsold food. Still, local grocery stores and corporate sponsors provide most of the food bank’s resources. With those discounts, each dollar donated can provide up to three meals for someone in need! Physical donations of food are always welcome, but money is the best way for an individual to support Second Harvest since the food bank can buy food at lower-than-retail prices. Like most food banks, Second Harvest takes in donations from both individuals and local companies. Second Harvest Food Banks exists to change those statistics, and that has started by building relationships within the communities. With the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent economic downturn, food insecurity and hunger have only become more widespread. Even more worrisomely, one out of every five children in this region was considered at-risk for hunger. Before the pandemic began, experts estimated that over 160,000 people were going hungry in East Tennessee alone. The team at Second Harvest Food Bank in East Tennessee is particularly passionate about what they do, and with good reason. Through these coordinated efforts, Second Harvest serves over one million meals every month. Each region has its own system, working with local partners to meet the needs of families in nearly every county in the state. Since its 1982 founding, Second Harvest Food Bank has become a recognized member of Feeding America & part of the Tennessee food bank network, plus established food distribution sites in 18 counties throughout East Tennessee. “It was a kind of ‘mom and pop’ type of place: just a group trying to get food out to their neighbors in need.” That’s how Madison Harmon, community outreach coordinator for Second Harvest Food Bank, describes the organization’s early days. ![]()
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