Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee Receives Donation to Purchase Cargo Van from Food City expanding Meal Services to At-Risk Afterschool Programs and Summer Meal Program.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee is pleased to announce a $50,000 donation from Food City that has funded the purchase of a cargo van to expand meal services to children in our service region. “Food City is proud to be a long-time supporter of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee. We’re excited to continue our partnership to include the purchase of a cargo van to expand the meal services to children in need throughout the region,” says Kevin Stafford, Food City Vice President of Marketing.

Currently, Second Harvest serves 150 hot meals each day to children in participating at-risk afterschool programs. The newly purchased cargo van will allow Second Harvest to expand the current hot meal service as well as provide over 30,000 meals during the summer months to children when school is not in session and access to nutritious food is not readily available. With one van, the program delivers to participating sites every other day with children receiving one hot meal and one refrigerated meal for a two-day period. All delivered meals follow USDA guidelines which state meals will contain milk, protein, whole grain, fruit and vegetable.  With the addition of a second cargo van for delivery of hot meals, children will now receive a hot meal each day.

“We are deeply grateful for the donation of this cargo van from our generous food partner, Food City,” states Rhonda Chafin, Executive Director of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee. “This van ensures that we can deliver healthy, nutritious food to at-risk children in our region safely and more efficiently. When children have access to food, their futures are nourished and they have the chance to reach their full potential.  This van will greatly impact our ability to serve food insecure children when schools are not in session and the need for food is critical for continued healthy growth.”  

Map the Meal Gap, an annual Feeding America program, shows that one in 5 children face hunger in Northeast Tennessee. Households with children are 1.5 times more likely to face hunger compared to households with no children. Children in rural communities face additional challenges with child food insecurity rates as high as nearly 50% in some counties. Second Harvest is deeply committed to providing for children experiencing hunger in this region and ensuring  that all children have the opportunity to grow and thrive. 

About Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee's (SHFBNT) mission is to feed the hungry in Northeast Tennessee by securing donations of food from national and local manufacturers, grocers, and individuals and redistribute them to partner food pantries. Additionally, SHFBNT programs provide hunger relief services for an average of 43,000 food-insecure individuals per month in Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Washington, and Unicoi Counties. SHFBNT is a 501©3 organization located in Kingsport, Tennessee and is a member of Feeding America, the Nation’s largest Food Bank network. Website: www.netfoodbank.org. 

About K-VA-T Food Stores

Headquartered in Abingdon, VA, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 158 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama.