How We Work

Our Process

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has established a sustainable, efficient process for sourcing quality food and getting it to the people who need it most. Here’s how it works:

Vision: We are committed to working toward a future in which everyone is food secure and no food is wasted. Second Harvest is helping make this a reality by increasing equitable access to food and resources, nourishing and empowering our neighbors to thrive.
Foundation: Everything we do is rooted in the foundation of providing food for today, food for tomorrow, and food for a lifetime. We are simultaneously working toward providing nutritious food that meets our neighbors’ immediate needs, equipping them to thrive with holistic support, and working toward long-term, sustainable solutions to food insecurity.
Food: We receive a diverse array of food items meticulously chosen to meet needs such as nutritional, cultural, or current living circumstances of our neighbors. We know that some of these food items are not easily accessible, so we ensure that our neighbors have equitable access regardless of their situation.
Logistics: Last year, we distributed more than 47 million pounds of donated, purchased, or rescued food which requires our operations and facilities to be efficient, safe, and sustainable. Successfully meeting these requirements, our warehouses are also strategically located to meet the needs of our neighbors where they are.
Distribution: We distribute food to our neighbors through our Partners including after-school programs, soup kitchens, senior centers, and other nonprofits. Our Partners are strategically selected to serve our neighbors in the most effective, ethical, and holistic way possible.

Our Programs

Second Harvest serves groups that each have unique needs, so we have programs designed specifically to meet them. From children to seniors, we want to make sure each person is getting what they need in the most accessible way.

Our Partners

We have trusted relationships with many incredible Partners who help us source and distribute food, and we could not do this important work without them. Our Partners include more than 600 organizations across Middle and West Tennessee that help us distribute food to their communities. We also work with more than 300 local grocery stores to rescue quality food items that would otherwise end up in landfills, and we work with local farmers to source fresh produce and reduce waste. We are grateful to our Partners who help us fight food insecurity across our 46-county service area.

Partner Agencies

For our current Partner Agencies, you’ll find all the information you need in our Agency Zone. Here you can log in to your AgencyLink account, find contact information for other agencies, download helpful resources, and more. If your organization is interested in becoming a Partner Agency, learn more here. If you are a current Partner Agency, click below to find all the resources you need.

Project Preserve

Project Preserve is the social enterprise of Second Harvest. It produces quality food items that are distributed to Feeding America food banks and Second Harvest’s partners around the U.S., including diabetic boxes, disaster boxes, and more. We’re committed to sustainability and exceptional customer service by leveraging economies of scale, manufacturing pipelines, and logistics expertise.

Innovative Meal Solutions

Dietician, Food Science, and Culinary lead cooking and manufacturing process focused on getting the right customized nutrition to neighbors in need. Our Innovative Meal Solutions capabilities include dietician designed and chef curated tray-pack meals (frozen), bulk precooked protein ingredients targeted to congregant feeding, and shelf-life extension leveraging excess bulk fresh produce to create shelf-stable and nutritionally balanced tomato sauce.

The meals and ingredients produced can target specific dietary health needs such as low sodium, diabetic support, and nutritionally balanced portions meeting specific needs of our neighbors.