LETTER FROM THE
PRESIDENT & CEO

In the 42 years since Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee began serving our community, we’ve had to work through a variety of challenges. We’ve overcome recessions, the 2010 flood, and other natural disasters like the many tornados that have hit our area over the years. Responding to disasters is just part of the work we do, and I knew this when I took the reins as President and CEO in July of 2019.

I envisioned a very different first year for myself leading this amazing organization. We had so many plans and goals for providing more food than ever to our neighbors in need. I knew that we were ready to face a natural disaster at any point. But I had no idea that nine months later we’d be dealing with the aftermath of deadly tornados followed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic just days later.

The impact of the pandemic was felt immediately. Demand for our services increased by 50% as food resources became harder and harder to secure. Second Harvest had to reevaluate our programs and completely adjust our distribution models to provide no-contact distributions and ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers, and clients.

Because of you, we were able to ramp up our food distributions to meet the increased need. Because of you, we were able to provide hope to the thousands of additional families that need our services for the first time. Every time Second Harvest is faced with a challenge, you are there to ensure that our neighbors continue to receive food no matter the circumstance.

The world as we know it may be forever changed, but I hope your commitment will stay the same. The stories you’ll read within these pages are stories of hope, resilience, and gratitude. Because of you, Second Harvest will continue its mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community.

Nancy Keil
President & CEO

BOARD OF
DIRECTORS

Lucia Folk  Board Chair

Shawn Williams Board Vice Chair

Lisa Gardi Board Secretary

Drew Berg Board Treasurer

Nancy Keil President & CEO

Jonathan Flack Past Board Chair

Interns

FEEDING PROGRAMS

At-Risk Afterschool Meal Program

Second Harvest sponsors 14 At-Risk Afterschool programs in Middle Tennessee and provided nearly 37,000 meals to participating children during the school year. The program runs for 10 months during the school year and food costs are reimbursed through the Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

BackPack Program

The BackPack Program provides easy-to-prepare food for at-risk children on weekends and during school breaks when other resources are not available. More than 5,800 children received BackPacks each week.

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

CSFP works to improve the health of low-income persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods. CSFP is a USDA-funded program contracted by the Tennessee Department of Health and provides a monthly food box to participating seniors.

Partner Agencies

Second Harvest distributes food and other products to 460 community Partner Agencies in Middle and West Tennessee. Partners include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, childcare facilities, senior centers, group homes and enrichment centers.

Emergency Food Box Program

The Emergency Food Box Program provides food assistance to individuals and families on an urgent-need basis through 16 sites in Davidson County. Nearly 1.9 million meals were provided through emergency food boxes, which include two to three days of staple food items based on the number of people in the household.

Farm to Families

The Farm to Families Program engages farmers, community volunteers, and Partner Agencies to supply locally grown, nutritious produce to those in need, ensuring less food goes to waste.

Kids Cafe

Kids Cafe provides free meals, snacks, and nutrition education to at-risk children through a variety of community programs during the school year and in the summer months. Participating children received more than 75,000 meals and snacks.

Grocery Rescue Program

Second Harvest rescues, sorts, and distributes frozen meat, dairy, produce, and dry groceries from 280 grocery stores and food donors. The Grocery Rescue Program rescued more than 7 million pounds of food.

Senior Nutrition Program

The Senior Nutrition Program provides low-income seniors with food resources that are nutritious, easy to prepare, and shelf stable. The “senior packs” are distributed weekly or monthly depending on our Partner Agency needs.

Project Preserve®

Project Preserve® leverages economies of scale, manufacturing, and logistics expertise to provide a comprehensive co-op and manufacturing program for Partner Agencies and the Feeding America food bank network. This operation produces boil-in-a-bag and tray-pack meals and assembles custom disaster relief and feeding program products.

School Food Pantry Program

The School Food Pantry Program increases food access for schoolchildren and their families. School-based pantries have a permanent residence within a school where food is brought and distributed each month. Nearly 230,000 meals were provided through 45 sites.

Mobile Pantry

Second Harvest coordinates large-scale, one-day distributions with Partner Agencies to provide food directly to individuals and families in need. A typical Mobile Pantry provides a family with one to two weeks of groceries. More than 195,000 individuals received assistance through this program.

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

Second Harvest sponsors the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) at sites throughout Middle Tennessee each summer. Through this program, we provided nearly 52,000 breakfasts and lunches to help ensure that low-income children continued to receive nutritious meals when school was not in session.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Outreach

Second Harvest offers SNAP outreach and application assistance at our Emergency Food Box sites, Mobile Pantry distributions, and Partner Agency locations. We share information about the benefits and provide prescreening for people who may qualify. More than 1,100 SNAP applications were completed by providing direct client assistance.

0
of every dollar donated goes directly to feeding programs
0
hours generously donated by dedicated volunteers

Stories Of Hope

Buster
Buster lives in Columbia with his wife, his grandson, Mark, and Mark’s mom, who is currently battling cancer. A former plant superintendent at a bakery, Buster was forced to leave his job after a car accident in 2000 left him unable to work. Affording food is oftentimes difficult for Buster and his family. Fortunately, they are able to get help from a One Gen Away Mobile Food Pantry, a Second Harvest Partner Agency. With the food they receive, Buster says they can use their limited funds to cover other living expenses and, for that, they are grateful. “This is very important – it helps sometimes when you need medicine and food. Bless you.”
Ashley
Ashley was working as a nurse practitioner at a local nursing home until the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools early. The single mom was forced to take a leave of absence to care for her three children – all with special needs. Without a steady paycheck, the family struggled. With the help of Second Harvest, Ashley and her family received the food they needed during a very difficult time. “I am just so thankful. This really helps me and my family. Thank you.”
Natalie
Natalie’s father is a self-employed furniture maker who has not been able to bring home a paycheck while the stores that carry his items are closed during the pandemic. This means her family, including her mom and two sisters, has had to dip into savings and retirement funds simply to get by. They now turn to New Hope Baptist Church Care Center, a Second Harvest Partner Agency, for the food they need. “Thank you for putting your hearts out and doing this for us and you’re amazing people and thank you.”
Jimmy-S
Jimmy has struggled with health issues his entire life, including brain tumors and spinal issues. This has made it difficult for him to maintain steady employment – so he usually gets by with odd jobs. Most months he can cover all of his family’s expenses, but when things get too tight, he turns to Mobile Food Pantries for assistance in getting the food his family needs. “Thank y’all for what you do. My family doesn’t need much, but you can’t live without food. You are helping us live.”
Kenay
Ever since Kenay’s father had his work hours cut at his construction job when the COVID-19 pandemic began, the 12-year-old’s family has been unable to make ends meet. A visit to a Second Harvest Mobile Food Pantry provided the family with enough food to fill their pantry and refrigerator. “My dad works in construction, but he hasn’t had a lot of work right now. This is our first time here. We’ve heard it really helps.”
Jimmy-H
Jimmy, 72, served during Vietnam as an explosives expert. When he returned home to Putnam County, he joined Harris Metals in Cookeville as a molding supervisor and worked there for 35 years before retiring. Now on a small, fixed income, Jimmy said it can be tough to make ends meet. He and his wife, along with his daughter’s family are thankful they can get food they need from Second Harvest and the Monterey Food Pantry. 
XAIDYN
Xaidyn, 9, is a 4th grader who lives in North Nashville with his parents and his 6-year-old brother Xayne. The brothers, along with their cousin, have been attending the West Nashville Dream Center SFSP meal distribution since the beginning of the summer. Xaidyn loves studying science in school, especially doing experiments. He likes eating healthy but prefers fruits over vegetables – his favorites are bananas, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes. “I look forward to this. On the days they are here, I wake up ready to play and eat good food.”
Cheryl
Cheryl is retired and lives alone on a very limited, fixed income. After her utility bills and rent are paid, she barely has any money left for other living expenses, including food. A friend recently told her about the Mobile Food Pantry at the Trezevant Volunteer Fire Hall where she was able to get the fruits and vegetables that are usually out of her budget. She is thankful for the help and seeing the community come together.
Cindy
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many in our community have found themselves seeking help from Second Harvest for the very first time – including Cindy. The special education teacher from North Nashville was able to get the food she needed at a drive-thru, no contact mobile food pantry at Pearl-Cohn High School. “God bless you all. I am so grateful we have such a generous and kind community.”

Statewide Impact

Proudly serving 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee

0
Mobile Pantries
0
Counties Served
0 M
nutritious meals provided to our neighbors in need
0 K
pounds of food distributed each week
0 M
pounds of fresh produce provided to those who need it most

Disaster relief

In the early morning hours of March 3rd, 2020, tornados tore through Nashville and surrounding areas. The impact would be felt for months to come.

As a first responder, Second Harvest mobilized quickly to provide food assistance to the thousands who were forced to rebuild.

Soon after, COVID-19 arrived in Middle Tennessee, driving us to reinvent every long-term tactic and policy so that food distribution and volunteering could be safe and effective while fulfilling the intentions of our donors’ philanthropic gifts.

It was a uniquely trying time, and we could not have responded effectively without the support of our community and our committed network of 460 Partner Agencies across 46 counties. Together we distribute over 36 million meals every year and help provide the stability that is crucial to long-term recovery.

Emergency Help

As a first responder in the aftermath of the tornados, Second Harvest served our community by:

  • Organizing large-scale food distributions in hardest-hit areas.
  • Coordinating with the American Red Cross of Tennessee to provide 1,600 hot meals a day to be distributed through Disaster Mobile Response Units.
  • Providing food and water in neighborhoods and shelters serving the thousands of residents who lost power and sustained damage to their homes.
  • Opening up our Emergency Food Box program to serve residents of Wilson County while increasing  the number of boxes anyone can receive in a six-month period.

Rosemary was a first-time food bank client. She lost the food in her fridge during the tornados and then lost her livelihood because of the pandemic.
“I didn’t think it was for me. I have a roof over my head, electricity, a car that runs, and my family and friends are safe. But my friend told me, ‘this is for you.’ And for the first time I realized, ‘Yes, this is for me.'”

Rosemary

Hermitage, Davidson County

Pandemic Response

VOLUNTEERS CONTINUED TO GIVE

As we settled into the new normal of social distancing and self-quarantining, our volunteers stepped up to keep our donated food moving. They wore gloves and masks and stood six feet apart, but their work was essential to providing much-needed support to our neighbors in need.

ESSENTIAL WORKERS

While many of our employees transitioned to working from home, a skeleton crew of essential workers remained at their post, pulling orders, leading volunteers, and making deliveries of nutritious food to keep our communities healthy.

“Every day is different out here,” says John Edmundson, Senior Transportation Lead and Second Harvest driver for 15 years. “I’m just trying to live out the mission, serving our Partner Agencies in the ups and the downs.”

PANDEMIC SUPPORT

In the 5-month period from March to July, we saw:

0 %
increase in food pounds distributed weekly
0 K
emergency & produce boxes distributed
0 +
million meals distributed
0 %
increase in food prepared through our USDA inspected Cook-Chill operation

COMMUNITY PARTNERS STEPPED UP

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY

The pandemic forced the closure of local restaurants, which caused a devastating ripple effect among their employees and the local producers who supply their ingredients. Second Harvest partnered with James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock to coordinate a multi-faceted way for restaurant employees to get back to work feeding hungry people. Using food from Second Harvest and locally purchased produce, chefs prepared over 30,000 meals, which food distributor Sysco then delivered to our Partner Agencies in Nashville. It was Southern hospitality at its finest.

COMMUNITY LEADERS & CHURCHES RESPOND

Five days a week during the pandemic, local church vans filled with volunteers distributed meals provided by Panera Bread to underserved parts of Nashville. The program was one of many resulting from Mayor John Cooper’s Food Security Working Group, which was headed by Second Harvest President and CEO Nancy Keil.

SUPPORTING VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES

Second Harvest worked with Conexión Américas, a nonprofit created to build bridges between Latino and non-Latino residents of Middle Tennessee, to provide fresh produce boxes during weekly drive-thru distributions. Additionally, staff made food deliveries to 500 quarantined families or those without transportation.

HCA Healthcare, Sodexo, and Second Harvest worked together to provide food for those without a home. Through this partnership, 6,300 meals were provided each week to those staying in the homeless shelters at the Nashville fairgrounds.

To serve at-risk populations throughout quarantine, we collaborated with Amazon Flex and Lyft to provide contactless home delivery of food boxes packed by Second Harvest volunteers. More than 1,500 households benefited from this service.

AN UNEXPECTED SUMMER BREAK

Summer is always a difficult time for families struggling with hunger, but this summer was especially hard as schools closed early and some students were left without reliable access to school lunches. In partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools and local community centers, Second Harvest provided the food for drive-thru distributions of fresh produce, meats, and pantry staples for 1,600 households per week.

Second Harvest also launched our Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sites early. These sites provide free and healthy breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner to youth during summer break. The Café at Thistle Farms helped prepare the additional meals, 1,300 bagged lunches every week. Our SFSP program served 8,500 children across 25 total sites.

Our Resources

Where our food
comes from

Donated
Government Hunger Relief Programs
Purchased
Grocery Rescue
Food Drives

where our funding
comes from

Individuals
Corporations
Foundations
Government
Civic / Religious

where our
food goes

where our resources
come from

Statement Of Activities

PUBLIC SUPPORT AND REVENUEUnrestrictedTemporarily RestrictedTotals
Total public support and revenue77,460,907(317,900)77,143,007
Donated Food$40,087,989-$40,087,989
Contributions18,061,1403,123,48421,184,624
government Grants14,838,780-14,838,780
Shared Maintenance Fees378,838-378,838
Special Events & Activities181,328-181,328
Less: direct benefits to donors---
Investment income, net135,065-135,065
Agency Transportation Reimbursement204,113-204,113
Other income (loss)132,270-132,270
Net assets released in satisfaction of program restrictions3,441,384(3,441,384)-
REVENUE - PROJECT PRESERVE® PROGRAMUnrestrictedTemporarily RestrictedTotals
TOTAL SUPPORT AND REVENUE80,832,711(317,900)80,514,811
SALES TO OUT OF AREA NETWORK AGENCIES, NET OF DISCOUNT37,085,138-37,085,138
SALES TO LOCAL AGENCIES2,502,961-2,502,961
DONATED FOOD AND SERVICES228,031-228,031
TOTAL REVENUE
PROJECT PRESERVE® PROGRAM
39,816,130-39,816,130
LESS DIRECT COSTS & EXPENSES
PROJECT PRESERVE® PROGRAM
(36,444,326)-(36,444,326)
GROSS PROFIT FROM
PROJECT PRESERVE® PROGRAM
3,371,804-3,371,804
EXPENSESUnrestrictedTemporarily RestrictedTotals
NET ASSETS - END OF YEAR33,199,0742,486,31135,685,385
PROGRAM SERVICES
Emergency Food Box4,021,427-4,021,427
Community Food Partners49,582,895-49,582,895
Children’s Programs2,502,214-2,502,214
Mobile Pantry9,377,314-9,377,314
TOTAL PROGRAM SERVICES65,483,850-65,483,850
SUPPORTING SERVICES
Management & general1,200,309-1,200,309
Fundraising3,040,713-3,040,713
TOTAL SUPPORTING SERVICES4,241,022-4,241,022
TOTAL EXPENSES69,724,872-69,724,872
CHANGE IN NET ASSETS11,107,839(317,900)10,789,939
NET ASSETS - BEGINNING OF YEAR22,091,2352,804,21124,895,446

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