About Us
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee opened its doors in 1978 with commitment from several community leaders. The purpose of the organization was to provide a central distribution center for companies, groups, and individuals who wished to help provide food for hungry people in Middle Tennessee.
Our Mission
Second Harvest’s mission is to provide food to people facing hunger and work to advance hunger solutions
By the Numbers FY21 Annual Report
96¢ of every $1
donated goes directly to feeding programs
35.2 million
nutritious meals provided to our neighbors in need
73,000
healthy meals and snacks provided through our Kids Cafe and At-Risk Afterschool meal programs
11 million
pounds of food rescued from 314 grocery stores
394
261
mobile pantries brought food to convenient locations for clients
45,017
volunteer hours generously donated
Partner Agencies
Second Harvest has a network of more than 450 Partner Agencies working together to feed hungry children, families, and seniors throughout our 46-county service area in Middle and West Tennessee.
Feeding Programs
With more than 1 million Tennesseans at risk of hunger every day, we are working hard to get food to those who need it most. Last year our fleet of trucks covered more than 750,000 miles rescuing and delivering food.
Our History
Grassroots Beginnings
Modeled after the first food bank established in Phoenix in the mid-1960s, Second Harvest was designed to collect food that would otherwise be wasted, inspect and sort this food, and distribute it to soup kitchens, pantries, and shelters serving Tennesseans experiencing hunger. During the first year, Second Harvest distributed 160,000 pounds of food to 75 member agencies.
Second Harvest Today
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is one of the largest and most comprehensive of more than 200 food banks and food distribution centers nationwide. During FY22, Second Harvest distributed more than 41.6 million pounds of food to more than 450 Partner Agencies, providing more than 35.2 million meals to hungry children, families, and seniors throughout our 46-county service area
