The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is disrupting most aspects of our daily lives. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is actively monitoring the circumstances and recommendations from credible health organizations (Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization), Feeding America and state and local governments. We’re using these recommendations to guide our work and we will continue to share updates to ensure your safety and that of the entire community we serve. 

This is a fluid situation and our understanding of this virus and its impact changes quickly. Our priority remains focused on providing food and resources to those in need – a demand that has increased significantly since March. 

These include vulnerable, high-risk Middle and West Tennesseans, such as seniors with chronic medical conditions and families with school-aged children who have lost up to two school meals a day when school went virtual. 

Our Response 

All three of our distribution centers remain open and our trucks are on the road to ensure food is delivered to our network of more than 460 Partner Agencies across our 46-county service area. Their ability to impact hunger on the frontlines depends on our ability to continue operations. 

• We’re taking extra measures to keep our teams and volunteers healthy. Our shifts are within the CDC’s recommended group size. We are taking extra steps to ensure equipment is sanitized more frequently, and offering our volunteers hand sanitizer and gloves. If you are able, we ask you to please consider signing up to help us keep up with the increased demand for our services. 

• We’re purchasing additional food to support emergency food distributions. Our top priority right now is to increase the amount of food available to our network of 460 Partner Agencies. Their ability to impact hunger on the frontlines depends on our ability to continue operations.    

• We’re working with school districts across our service area to ensure children are fed while schools are closed. 

• We’re working hard to register those eligible for SNAP to ensure that everyone who needs these benefits can access them.

• We’ve expanded our Emergency Food Box program – anyone who needs food and lives in Davidson or Wilson County can visit any of the locations on the Emergency Food Box map and get a food box with 2-3 days of staple food items. Typically there are income requirements to qualify for this program, but those have all been waived until future notice. 

Your support is more critical than ever. You can help with a donation right now. Remember, every $1 provides 4 meals.

In unexpected times like these, we are so grateful for your partnership – thank you!