During a recent Second Harvest Mobile Pantry at the Winchester Baptist Church in Franklin County – funded by Nissan – the company’s employees help distribute more than 32,000 pounds of food to 225 households facing hunger. As cars pulled up, Nissan staff placed boxes filled with fresh produce, dairy, bakery goods and shelf stable items in the trunks – food that would soon be filling of pantries and refrigerators of those who are struggling.
“The number of Tennesseans facing food insecurity has more than doubled because of COVID-19, and Nissan is committed to helping our neighbors in need,” said Parul Bajaj, Senior Manager, Philanthropy at Nissan.
Heading into the holidays, Feeding America estimates that 1 in 6 people in Middle and West Tennessee, including 1 in 5 children, are at risk of hunger amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With many in our community unsure of how they will put food on their table this holiday season, Nissan – a longtime Second Harvest supporter – is doubling down in its commitment in the fight against hunger.
This year, the auto manufacturer, doubled its annual gift to Second Harvest – donating $200,000 to help provide food to children, individuals, families, and seniors, who are struggling to access nutritious meals. In total, Nissan has donated more than $1.56 million dollars to the Food Bank – equaling nearly 6.3 million meals to those in need food in our community.
“Nissan invests time and money into a number of charitable programs across Middle Tennessee because we are committed to improving the communities where our employees live and work.”
Nissan has also matched their employees’ gifts, totaling more than $36,000. In addition, Nissan employees have donated more than 4,000 volunteer hours since 2012 – including the Mobile Pantry in Winchester.
