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Who We Are

A young woman with long braided hair, wearing a gray sweatshirt, sits and smiles at a desk in a classroom with a whiteboard and empty desks behind her.

Our Beliefs

Our core beliefs drive our mission to nourish and empower people so they can thrive, shaping our work and relationships every day. At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, we believe:
  • that access to food is a human right.
  • in being a good neighbor.
  • in meeting neighbors where they are, with compassion.
  • in the power of connection, and that it is our role to connect resources with those who need them.
  • that food makes tomorrow possible.

Our Values

We are dedicated to living out these values in everything we do:

  • Adaptability
    We explore and adjust to new conditions, and we have the courage to be versatile, adapting to the needs of our neighbors, partners, and peers.
  • Co-creation
    We move beyond collaboration to proactively develop innovative and neighbor-centric initiatives with our community.
  • Equity
    We act with intention to remove barriers, include all voices, and meet people where they are.
  • Innovation
    We are change agents unafraid to challenge the status quo. We boldly envision and implement new ways to meet needs.
  • Radical Hospitality
    We authentically and intentionally create a culture of care and belonging for all.
  • Empathy & Compassion
    We actively listen and hold space for our neighbors, partners, and one another so everyone can share their unique journeys.
A smiling woman with three children stands in front of an open car trunk filled with groceries and supplies, posing together outside a building on a sunny day.
A man sits in the driver’s seat of a white Ford truck, looking out the open window. The truck is parked indoors near a white wall, and the area is dimly lit by overhead lights.

Our Story

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee opened its doors in 1978 as a central distribution center for companies, groups, and individuals who wished to help provide food to people experiencing food insecurity in Middle Tennessee. Today, we work with more than 600 Partners to distribute millions of pounds of food each year across our 46-county service area, and we’ve diverted 30,100,000 pounds of quality food from landfills.

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