Second Harvest Food Bank News

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Leaving a Legacy

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Your action today can have a positive impact in future generations. For many of our donors, legacy giving is the perfect way to express support for our hunger-relief efforts. Your commitment to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee through a planned gift will help secure and distribute food and groceries to those in need. Many donors choose to leave money to Second Harvest in their wills. While there are numerous ways to give, donors may realize significant tax benefits through a bequest. Bequests are gifts left by a will. You may bequeath

New Generator Will Protect Food During

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Your bountiful harvest more than filled food bank

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:14:33 +0000

By Gail Kerr, The Tennessean With the daily dose of bad developments about the economy, it's nice to get a little good news. Remember the Feeding Hope Challenge food drive that Second Harvest Food Bank conducted throughout December, in an effort to restock its bare shelves? Well, Middle Tennessee. You did it. You more than did it. They finally finished counting, and you donated 327,998 pounds of food — exceeding their goal by 27,998 pounds. That is enough food to provide 256,248 meals to hungry families. "It was completely unexpected," said Tasha Kennard, director of marketing for Second Harvest. "We thought we'd be lucky to hit the goal. We ended up with 142 food drives, which is more than we've ever had in a one-month period." It's given the nonprofit some breathing room in what is their most difficult and challenging period in more than two decades. For many people, layoffs and shuttered businesses are sad stories you hear about happening to someone else. For Second Harvest, they are scared human beings walking in their doors with a desperate need to feed their families. "Every time more people go unemployed, more people are going to need us," Kennard said. "The folks who were laid off in the beginning of this are coming off their severance packages now. Their unemployment benefits are running out. That's the scary thing." Second Harvest will provide anyone with an emergency food box, which has enough nonperishables to feed a family for several days. They limit how often a person can get them, so it truly is to help someone in a crisis. Demand for those emergency food boxes was up 28 percent in November, compared with the year before. In December, it was up 22 percent. January and February are tracking the same. And they do not expect the demand to ease off anytime soon. "We firmly believe it's going to get worse," Kennard said. The food you collected in December will cover the emergency food box program's needs for the next 2½ months. It's a huge relief for the agency. "People got so creative," she said, including an office that filled up a boat with food. Area music clubs accepted canned food in lieu of cover charges. Whole Foods did a round-up campaign that raised $10,000. Nashville Public Library allowed people to pay their overdue book fines in food. The Tennessean's lobby looked like a mini-food warehouse. The agency did have to throw out some peanut butter snack products because of the salmonella scare. But Kennard said it wasn't that much — jars of peanut butter are safe. The next big food drive is May 9, when letter carriers will collect food at your mailbox. But Kennard said you don't have to wait until then. Anybody can conduct a food drive, any time of the year. "We need food 365 days of the year," she said. So start re-stocking your pantry.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:54:35 +0000

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More Tennessee Families Need Assistance As Unemployment Rate Surpasses 9 Percent

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:16:50 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN - March 20, 2009 – As the unemployment rate in Tennessee reaches 9.1 percent for February, Second Harvest Food Bank announced that it has experienced a 23 percent increase in requests for emergency food box assistance over the past four months.

“Unemployment is one of the primary factors for the increased demand as more families are relying on the food bank for assistance while they are waiting for their unemployment or SNAP benefits to arrive,” said Jaynee Day, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. “Our community food partners are seeing an increase in the number of middle-class families that have been thrown into uncertain economic times by unprecedented layoffs and the growing rate of unemployment.”

According to figures released this week, the state’s unemployment rate for February was 9.1 percent, up half a percentage point from the January rate of 8.6 percent. A year ago, the February rate was 5.5 percent. The last time Tennessee’s unemployment rate was at 9.1 percent was in July 1984, as the state was emerging from the recession of the early 1980s. The state’s unemployment rate had peaked at 12.4 percent in December 1983. The national unemployment rate for February 2009 was 8.1 percent, up from 7.6 percent in January.

“These are truly staggering and frightening figures,” said Day. “We want to assure the community that we are here to help those in need. Over the next several weeks, Second Harvest will target rural communities with Mobile Pantry deliveries and open two new Emergency Food Box sites in Davidson County to help meet the increased demand. We will also begin expanding our perishable food rescue program to all 46 counties in our service area providing our 400 community food partners with meat, dairy, bread and other perishable products that have been donated from our grocery partners.”

Through its Emergency Food Box program, Second Harvest provides food and personal care products to individuals and families on an urgent-need basis. Emergency Food Box sites are conveniently located for easy accessibility—either within walking distance or access by public transportation—in low-income populated areas. An emergency food box provides two to three days' worth of staple food items, based on the number of members in each household. The boxes contain non perishable items such as canned vegetables, canned fruits, canned meat, macaroni & cheese, rice, beans, peanut butter, cereal and crackers. If you or someone you know is in need of emergency food assistance, Second Harvest can help. Please call us at 615-329-3491 and we will direct you to an Emergency Food Box site near you.

The Mobile Pantry program is a traveling food pantry that delivers food directly to individuals and families in need. The program is funded by nonprofit agencies, community organizations, corporate gifts and grants that assist in purchasing the food and managing the distribution. The Mobile Pantry program services locations of concentrated need where residents may lack transportation to food assistance agencies, where agencies may not exist or where agencies lack the storage or resources for large and varied quantities of food.

“Fighting hunger in our community is no small task and we need your support to ensure that the needs of our community are met,” said Day. “Donating non perishable food items, volunteering to sort food or making a monetary donation will help Second Harvest meet the increased demand and ensure that the much needed food gets distributed to families in need.”

Most needed non perishable food donations include: canned vegetables, canned fruit, canned meat, macaroni & cheese and peanut butter. Drop off locations include area Kroger stores and Second Harvest’s Martin Distribution Center at 331 Great Circle Road, Nashville, TN. All food donations will provide the much needed supplies for emergency food box programs and community food partners throughout Second Harvest’s 46 county service area.

To learn more about Second Harvest’s programs, volunteer opportunities or to make a donation, visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org.

About Second Harvest:

Organized in 1978, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is a private, not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee’s mission is to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is one of the largest and most comprehensive of over 200 food banks and food distribution centers nationwide and also a member of Feeding America – The Nation’s Food Bank Network. During the 2007/2008 fiscal year, Second Harvest distributed more than 40 million pounds of food to hungry men, women, and children. Second Harvest distributes food and other products to approximately 400 nonprofit partner agencies in 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee. Our partners include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, foster care facilities, senior centers, group homes, and youth enrichment programs. For more information on Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and its programs, please visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org.

Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:51:09 +0000

Skip Lunch: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth is Not on April 7

By Carrington Fox in Events @ Nashville Scene

Tuesday, Mar. 31 2009 @ 6:10AM

On April 7, Second Harvest Food Bank invites you to leave your brown bag at home, cancel your lunch date and count the money you save by skipping the midday the meal. Then, while you're griping about the nuisance of being a little peckish, take that cash and give it to Skip Lunch Feed a Bunch. The Second Harvest fundraiser will get your money to people who are far too familiar with the feeling of being hungry. Let's say you cut out your regular Chicago dog and fries, the fiver you save will purchase 25 pounds of food and provide 20 meals to hungry children, seniors and families. Skip your $10 kabob platter, and you're feeding 50. A $15 scallop salad will provide food for 75. Second Harvest will provide a desk clock to remind you when not to eat and a sticker to wear as a badge of honor as you fast. For more information and a fasting kit, call Jenny Vazquez at Second Harvest at 627-1571 or email jenny.vazquez (at) secondharvestmidtn (dot) org.

Second Harvest Food Bank Receives 144,000 Eggs Today

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:26:24 +0000

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) March 30, 2009 — Kentucky egg farmer, Cal-Maine Foods, located in Guthrie, donated more than 144,000 eggs to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee this afternoon. According to the USDA, Tennessee has an average of 2.4 million households, roughly 12.8 percent of the state population, who live with hunger and fear of starvation – a number which exceeds the national average.

“Eggs have always been an important staple in the American diet, but it is also one of the hardest food categories to acquire,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. “With our food banks reporting a 30 percent average increase in demand for emergency food assistance, compared to one year ago, this egg donation comes at the perfect time.”

For the second year in a row, United Egg Producers and Feeding America are teaming up to feed the nation’s hungry. The partnership between Cal-Maine Foods and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and other food banks throughout the country will help the 36 million people who are at risk of hunger in the United States.

“Second Harvest is experiencing a 23 percent increase in requests for Emergency Food Box assistance and the need in our community continues to grow,” said Jaynee Day, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. “This very generous donation will enable Second Harvest to provide a much needed protein to the agencies and clients we serve – meeting a critical need of hungry families in our community.”

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee last year distributed 40 million pounds of food to 46 counties throughout the state, providing hunger relief and services to more than 400 different organizations.

In coordination with Feeding America – The Nation's Food Bank Network, America’s egg farmers from across the country will be donating more than 12 million eggs to help make sure America’s food banks are well stocked with nutrient-dense eggs.

“Our families have been farming in this community for several generations and we are proud to offer our help and support when our community needs it more than ever," said egg farmer, Marc Ashby, general manager of Cal-Maine Foods in Guthrie, Ky.

A powerhouse of nutrition for their size and caloric content, each egg has 13 essential nutrients – including the highest quality protein, choline, folate, iron and zinc – for only 75 calories.

“United Egg Producers is dedicated to helping those less fortunate,” said Gene Gregory, president of United Egg Producers. “Our hope is that this donation makes a significant difference in the lives of many people who live at risk of hunger, especially during the Easter holiday.”

Join Second Harvest at the Big Ol' Egg Drop

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:48:03 +0000

Join us on April 11 at Station Camp High School in Gallatin as Peace Community Church hosts the Big Ol' Egg Drop, a benefit event supporting The Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. We're making things BIGGER and BETTER this year. More eggs, more food, and more games. Twenty-thousand eggs, filled with candy and toys, will be dropped from a helicopter, and children will be able to run onto the field and “find” them. Kids will be separated into age groups, and there will be two different drops. We're going to make sure no one walks away empty handed. There will also be lots of inflatables and games for younger children. The Easter Bunny will be there, and parents will be able to take free pictures. There will also be live music, and Chick-Fi-La will be on site. Admission is free, but we are asking for canned goods to be donated to The Second Harvest Food Bank. Monetary donations will also be accepted. The Big Ol' Egg Drop will begin at 11 a.m. and end at 2:00 p.m.

People In Need Help Others In Need

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:27:49 +0000

NewsChannel5.com: http://tinyurl.com/cftujg Posted: April 9, 2009 06:55 PM CDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A group of homeless men in Nashville are giving all they have to help others in need. The men formed a partnership with Second Harvest that may turn into a monthly service project.

The assembly lines of volunteers are men that are part of Nashville's homeless community. The men live at the ministry a Room in the Inn. "In this economic downturn, even the homeless want to do something to help the needy. We're recipients of food from Second Harvest, appreciative of all done for us and this is our way of giving back," said Charles Strobel with a Room in the Inn. They donated their time at the Second Harvest food bank Thursday morning, sorting frozen foods. "I think we have about 18 of them in there today - helping make boxes and sorting through food and we've done about four pallets today - maybe 5,000 pounds of food," said president of Second Harvest Jaynee Day. Mario Holmes said he kept receiving, and with this job he had learned valuable life skills. "Teamwork, getting organized, more community, working together. I love it - we all as one and stuff," said volunteer Mario Holmes. Second Harvest depends on volunteers and the partnership comes at a time when they need it the most. A new grocery rescue program brought in thousands of new items each month, and the volunteerism appeared to be contagious. "On down the line, more volunteer work not only outside the community but perhaps at a Room in the Inn next season," said volunteer John Brazelton. A Room in the Inn said they now plan to make volunteering at Second Harvest a monthly service project.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:52:50 +0000

Renaissance Nashville Hotel Receives Mary Catherine Strobel Group Volunteer Award

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:53:50 +0000

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Five citizens of Middle Tennessee were honored today at the 23^rd annual Mary Catherine Strobel Awards Presented by HCA/TriStar, for their outstanding contributions to the community through volunteerism.

More than 500 volunteers and agency representatives attended the event, hosted by Hands On Nashville at the Franklin Marriott’s Cool Springs Conference Center. The awards ceremony recognized 15 finalists and 72 nominees and was emceed by Rhori Johnston of NewsChannel5. The Strobel Awards luncheon and ceremony, presented by HCA/Tristar and founded by Ford Motor Company, honor the late Mary Catherine Strobel, known for her extensive community outreach. Winners were selected from five different categories, listed below.

Volunteer Innovator Award Presented by CMT One Country

The Volunteer Innovator Award Presented by CMT One Country recognizes individuals or groups who have designed creative volunteer programs, practices or responses to address unmet community needs, or have taken a creative approach to an existing program or agency.

Lee Ann Ingram has been named the 2009 recipient of the Volunteer Innovator Award Presented by CMT One Country for her work with Centerstone, the nation’s largest provider of community-based behavioral health care. Ingram’s passion for helping youth inspired a unique vision, providing teens with resources they can access in the privacy of their own homes. After years of planning, Centerstone launched Coaching 4 Teens, an interactive, online program available free of charge to teens ages 13 to 18. Coaching 4 Teens allows adolescents to receive counseling in the privacy of their own homes. Ingram’s efforts have provided Middle Tennessee teens access to support and tools necessary to succeed and thrive in life.

Direct Service Volunteer Award Presented by McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations

The Direct Service Volunteer Award Presented by McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations refers to individuals who have demonstrated a long-term and exemplary commitment to an agency, often working in a hands-on capacity to directly serve the entity’s constituents.

Robert Chandler has been named the 2009 recipient of the Direct Service Volunteer Award Presented by McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations for his work with the Nashville Adult Literacy Council. After completing the literacy program seven years ago, Chandler was inspired to give back and has been volunteering nearly every day since. Chandler has also exemplified great perseverance despite difficult personal circumstances.

Youth Volunteer Award Presented by Baptist Healing Trust

The Youth Volunteer Award Presented by Baptist Healing Trust recognizes youths ages 5 to 22 who serve as an inspiration to others through significant volunteerism.

Thomas Davis has been named the 2009 recipient of the Youth Volunteer Award Presented by Baptist Healing Trust for his work at the Siloam Family Health Center. Davis founded La Escalera de Escalante, a bilingual library and literacy program for the Clairmont community, which encourages young children to embrace their bilingual capability. Through the volunteer-run program, kids are seeing improvements in school and parents have taken new interest in reading with their children. He will remain involved with the library when he begins Vanderbilt Medical School in the fall.

Community-Wide Volunteer Award Presented by Volunteer Tennessee

The Community-Wide Volunteer Award Presented by Volunteer Tennessee recognizes individuals who are involved in a variety of community activities and make a positive impact on agencies and the community at large.

Don Beisswenger has been named the 2009 recipient of the Community-Wide Volunteer Award Presented by Volunteer Tennessee for his work with Penuel Ridge Retreat Center, where he served as co-founder; The Living Room; Nashville Homeless Power Project (birthed out of The Living Room); Tying Nashville Together; and the Barnes Housing Fund, his newest venture. In addition to his work to ensure all have shelter, Beisswenger serves on the National Committee of Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. Beisswenger volunteers 30 to 40 hours a week, making sure his retirement is an active one.

Volunteer Group Award Presented by AzkoNobel

The Volunteer Group Award Presented by AzkoNobel pertains to representatives of civic, school, membership or business groups who volunteer together for a cause.

The Renaissance Nashville Hotel has been named the 2009 recipient of the Volunteer Group Award Presented by AkzoNobel or its work with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and the Martha O’Bryan Center Kids Cafe program. Since 1994, hotel management and staff volunteer approximately 600 hours each year in support of the Kids Cafe program, which provides meals to children at risk of hunger. The hotel’s extensive and ongoing support impacts thousands of lives each year.

The Mary Catherine Strobel Awards are a program of Hands On Nashville. Event sponsors include: presenting sponsor, HCA/Tristar; founding sponsor, Ford Motor Company; award sponsors, AkzoNobel, Baptist Healing Trust, CMT One Country, McNeely Pigott & Fox and Volunteer Tennessee; print media sponsor, Nashville Business Journal; table and event sponsors, BooneDocks Distribution, LLC, Buford Lewis Co., C3 Consulting LCC, Hands On Nashville board of directors, Locomotion Creative, NewsChannel5, Regions Bank, Seigenthaler Public Relations and Tennessee Valley Authority.

About the Mary Catherine Strobel Awards

The Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards are named in memory of the late Mary Catherine Strobel, known for her extensive and charitable efforts toward improving the lives of Middle Tennessee’s homeless, impoverished and less fortunate populations. The annual awards ceremony celebrates Strobel’s service and recognizes those who continue her legacy.

About Hands On Nashville

Hands On Nashville is Middle Tennessee’s volunteer resource agency. Hands On Nashville creates and manages opportunities for adults, families, teens, children and companies to transform their world through volunteer service. Hands On Nashville challenges everyone to find a way to give back and to … Be the Change. Volunteer. To find out how, check out www.hon.org or call 298-1108.

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:35:14 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:35:45 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:38:09 +0000

Stamp Out Hunger on May 9

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:45:09 +0000

On Saturday, May 9th, letter carriers will again help Stamp Out Hunger! ™ across America with your help in order to provide assistance to the one in eight Americans who struggle with hunger. The Stamp Out Hunger! effort is the nation's largest single-day food drive, having collected more than 909 million pounds of food since its inception in 1993. Last year, letter carriers across the country collected a record total of more than 73.1 million pounds of food, but with hunger impacting many Americans– including working families, children and the elderly – help is needed now more than ever before. There is simply no easier way to help the community than to contribute nonperishable food items through the Letter Carriers Food Drive on Saturday, May 9th. Place your donated food items in a bag near your mailbox that day, and your letter carrier will pick up and deliver the food to Second Harvest Food Bank. Then, the items will be distributed by Second Harvest Food Bank to emergency food pantry programs throughout the community.

More Tennessee kids at risk of going hungry

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:27:45 +0000

May 9, 2009 By Christina E. Sanchez THE TENNESSEAN Susie Winston knew if she paid both the rent and the electric bill this month she might not be able to put food on the table. She had to choose. The meals she makes are stretched among six grandchildren, ages 4 to 13, whom she helps raise. "It's so hard," said Winston, who was at the Martha O'Bryan Center's food bank on Friday. "I work over 40 hours a week, plus I am trying to keep food on the table." The East Nashville resident has been going to the food bank for years, so she never has to worry her grandchildren will ask her, "When are we going to eat?" Many children are asking that question, going to bed hungry or unable to concentrate in school because of growling stomachs. More than one-fifth of Tennesseans under age 18 — 293,038 children — are at risk of not getting enough to eat, according to a national anti-hunger group's analysis of government information for 2005-07. Only three states have more children who lack consistent access to food. Advocates expect the recession and layoffs will edge up the number of children without regular, healthy meals. But while need has grown, resources haven't. "We are seeing an increase," said Jaynee Day, president and chief executive officer of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. "The numbers are going to change and only go up. People are having to make tough decisions right now." The research by Feeding America, a nonprofit network of food banks and similar programs, also showed that Tennessee is one of 11 states with more than 20 percent of children at risk for hunger. More than 77,500 of Tennessee's at-risk children are under age 5. Food stamps see spike Second Harvest, a member of Feeding America, serves 46 counties in Middle Tennessee, including Davidson, Williamson, Wilson, Sumner and Rutherford. The growing child hunger follows the trend of increases for food stamps and the number of free and reduced-price lunches in schools. Unemployment and poverty rates in Tennessee, each higher than the national averages, contribute greatly to child hunger, advocates said. "Families have to make choices between food and house payments," said Cassi Johnson, director of the Food Security Partnership at Vanderbilt University. "The issue really comes down to income, poverty and lack of living wage." Tennessee's unemployment rate for March was at 9.6 percent, more than a percentage point above the nationwide figure. Its poverty rate in 2007 was 15.8 percent, compared with a national average of 12.5 percent. The Food Partnership works with more than 70 organizations to create healthy and sustainable food systems. Food banks help Winston, the East Nashville grandmother, said she goes to food pantries when she can. The emergency food boxes she is able to get give her staple meals to feed her grandchildren. "This place helps a lot," she said about the Martha O'Bryan Center on South Seventh Street. "I make it work. I'll be all right." Programs that help fight child hunger have seen steady increases from organizations offering aid to the number of children who access it. Kids Cafe gives snacks and meals to children after school. One fast-growing program sends backpacks home with schoolchildren on weekends. Second Harvest and local school districts co-sponsor the program. The number of those sent home has grown from 17,000 in 2006 to 55,100 so far this school year, with two weeks left. Day, the Second Harvest president, said some kids might not eat without the backpacks or Kids Cafe program. "A child who comes to school unequipped to learn is likely not to be successful as an adult," Day said. "They don't learn, they don't have any energy, they have more learning disabilities, and they have more health issues." During school, low-income children can qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch. But when they go home, only about 10 percent of the eligible children get food assistance, said Bill Hutchison, child nutrition program manager for the state Department of Health. He coordinates a statewide Summer Food Service program. The number of children it serves has increased about 4 percent a year since the middle of the decade. More than 37,500 lunches were served at 1,378 sites across the state from June to the start of this school year. "We expect to have more sites and children this year, and that is likely because of the economy," Hutchison said. Day said that the economy also has hurt money and food donations. "Our children, who are our most valuable asset, are at risk, and we need to send a very clear message that these children should not go to bed hungry," Day said. "It is our moral responsibility."

Country Stars Help Kids Cafe

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:31:06 +0000

The annual Kids Café Charity concert will be at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at the Wildhorse Saloon, 120 Second Ave. N. The event will feature live performances by Sawyer Brown and Ashley Jace. All proceeds will benefit Kids Café, a children's feeding program of Second Harvest Food Bank. The Kids Cafe program provides free meals and snacks to low-income children through a variety of community locations where children already congregate, such as schools and after school programs. The program is designed to feed children at risk of going hungry and provide them the physical and emotional nourishment critical to healthy development. A Kids Cafe meal is often the only nutritious meal that participating children receive all week outside of the school cafeteria. During the summer, Second Harvest also serves breakfast, dinner and snacks at participating locations. The program serves approximately 2,500 children per week, providing more than 350,000 meals and snacks each year, officials said. The concert will include a live auction offering country artist memorabilia. Reserved main floor seats are available for $40 and general admission is $25. Tables of 10 are available for $600 with reserved seating along the front of the stage. For more information about the Kids Cafe Charity Concert or the Dave Wachtel Memorial Golf Tournament, visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org or www.wildhorsesaloon.com to purchase concert tickets.

Generous Helpings Moves to Farmers' Market May 28

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:04:09 +0000

By Carrington Fox in Events

Wednesday, May. 20 2009 @ 6:29AM

A perennial favorite food event, Generous Helpings moves to the newly renovated Farmers' Market, where once again, the city's ever-generous restaurant community--including tayst, Miel, Mambu, Mirror, The Standard, Monell's, Chappy's on Church, City House, Ombi, Eastland Cafe, Yellow Porch, Zola, Tin Angel, Miro District and Marché--will serve up bite-sized portions of their creative fare. More than 40 independent restaurants and farms will be on hand offering soupçons of their signature appetizers, entrées, desserts and wine. Generous Helpings benefits Nashville's Table, the perishable food rescue program of Second Harvest Food Bank. The event is 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, May 28.Tickets are $40 in advance, $50 at the door or $125 for patron-level private seating and bar.

ARE YOU HUNGRY? Viral Video

Second Harvest Staff — Sun, 31 May 2009 02:01:39 +0000

We learned today that Feeding America, our national organization, and Ashton Kutcher have joined forces to create a viral video to increase awareness on hunger issues. Second Harvest will be shooting a Hunger Awareness video in Nashville on Monday and encourage all of our supporters to get involved. All you need to do is to record a video of you or your friends saying "Are you hungry?", "Hungry?", "You look hungry", etc... then looking at the camera and saying "Eat!" or "Go Eat!" and finally footage of you or your friends eating something. Visit the link below for a video by Ashton for detailed explanation. http://www.hungerlimit.com/ Upload your videos to YouTube and tag them with "endhungernow" or send them over to endushunger [at] gmail.com until Tuesday, June 2nd 2009.. All videos will be cut into a single viral video clip and posted online. Follow @aplusk, @mrskutcher, @FeedingAmerica and @SHFBofmidtn on Twitter to get the latest updates about the campaign. Tweet about #HungerLimit, #Hunger and #USHunger to raise hunger awareness of your friends, colleagues and family members. Together, we can fight hunger and feed hope.

Give a Little, Feed a Lot During Hunger Action Month

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:15:38 +0000

Throughout September, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and Feeding America invite you to join millions of Americans during Hunger Action Month in giving a little of yourself …voice, time, food, money…whatever you can ….to feed the hungry in our community and across the country. Pledging to Give a Little, Feed a Lot is simple and easy! Give a Little Voice – Visit www.hungeractionmonth.org to help raise awareness throughout the month of September. Give a Little Time - Register as an individual or group for our 24-hour Sort-a-Thon on September 11 – 12. Help inspect and sort food donations for the Emergency Food Box and Children’s Feeding Programs. Give a Little Food – Organize food drive with your friends, family, church or business and drop off donations at various locations including area Kroger stores, the State Fair on 9/19 or the Food Bank. Most needed items include: peanut butter, canned vegetables, canned fruit, canned meat, pasta and cereal. Give a Little Money - Donate what you typically spend on lunch for a day…a week…a month to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Just $5 will help Second Harvest provide at least 20 meals to hungry men, women and children. Together, we can reach out to hungry families right here in our neighborhood and get them the food they need to get through these tough times!

Day of Service

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:34:08 +0000

Before I get into the meat of today’s blog, I want to officially introduce myself. My name is Heather Burchfield, and I am one of the newest additions to the Second Harvest family. I am the new Social Media Marketing Associate, and I will be the one running the food bank’s social media campaign. (Feel free to shoot me a tweet @2HarvestMidTN.) If you ever have any questions or concerns about the online tools, please do not hesitate to contact me at heather.burchfield@secondharvestmidtn.org. I welcome your feedback. Now that I have given a proper introduction, I will proceed to tell you what makes today special. I’m sure you realized that today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day when your little one stayed home from school and traffic was actually bearable on Harding Pike before 440, but this day has become more than simply a day to honor a great man. It has become a time to honor a great man with a mission of community service. In 1994, Congress assigned the third Monday of January MLK Day of Service. This is the only federal holiday that has been designated as a day to promote volunteerism, and it pleases me that Middle Tennesseans are taking advantage of the opportunity. Second Harvest is fortunate and ecstatic to have over 150 volunteers coming to assist in sorting food donations for our Emergency Food Bank and pack our BackPacks for at risk children. Like many other nonprofit organizations, volunteers are critical to enable Second Harvest’s mission, and we are thankful and humbled to have such a large turnout. We, of course, don’t want anyone to go hungry, and these wonderful volunteers are helping us prevent hunger. They’re feeding hope! Please email volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org for future volunteer opportunities. Sorting shifts are available Monday through Saturday.

MLK Day Volunteers

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:10:09 +0000

Volunteers

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:12:53 +0000

Volunteers

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They've Got Heart

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:18:18 +0000

[caption id="attachment_61" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Na'eem Rashada, a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity member, and Latrice Cushenberry, a member of Mt. Zion Church in Nashville, help sort and pack boxes for the Emergency Food Box program."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_70" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Volunteers form an assembly line to organize goods for Second Harvest's BackPack program."][/caption] Yesterday was a blast as almost 200 volunteers worked in the Second Harvest warehouse sorting, packing, and organizing boxes for the Emergency Food Box and BackPack programs. The productivity and focus these individuals had far surpassed Lucy and Ethel's debut on the chocolate candy assembly line in an episode of I Love Lucy. Our volunteers were more like honey bees as they worked with intensity and diligence. Caroline Foley, Second Harvest's volunteer associate, said that the volunteer packed 16.5 pallets of backpack cases, which means 4,095 backpacks total. The groups also sorted through 20 pallets of food to family goods, which had been donated from community food drives. Surprisingly, adults were not the only ones using their holiday to give back to the community. There were children energetically filling sacks with canned goods and diving head first into the big food bins to help sort the donated goods. I was almost scared to pull a few of them aside to talk or take pictures of them because I did not want to interrupt their workflow. Caroline noted that the best part of her day was the overwhelming response from the volunteers. "I was touched by how many people, in honor of Dr. King's vision, were willing to transform their legal holiday into a day of service." Those in charge of the volunteers had to increase the size limits of the volunteer groups in order to prepare for yesterday, and everyone at Second Harvest was blown away by the response as to how quickly the shifts filled. The staff of Second Harvest would like to thank everyone who spent their day working and supporting our mission of feeding the hungry.

Ms. Cheryl Floyd's Class at Bethlehem Center

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:09:08 +0000

Little Jeremiah

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:10:15 +0000

Got Milk?

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:15:50 +0000

[caption id="attachment_75" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Ms. Cheryl Floyd's Class at Bethlehem Center with Rebekah Jacques"][/caption] As 4 and 5-year-olds crawl and squirm to a colored block on their classroom's carpet mat, Rebekah Jacques, Second Harvest's registered dietitian, holds a small stuffed cow. She has the children pass around the animal and tell their name, age, and favorite type of milk. The cutest was when a few called chocolate milk brown or black milk, and then there were some that had trouble answering the questions since Rebekah, Aubrey Hill (our new intern), and I arrived right after their afternoon nap. Rebekah proceeded to read a story to the kids about where milk comes from and the reasons milk is nutritious. After the story, we made yummy banana smoothies for the class as they colored a picture of a cow. I think Bethlehem Center has several emerging abstract artists on their hands as many of the cows resembled the colors found in any bag of Skittles. Once the smoothies were made, the little ones couldn't wait to get their hands on the healthy treats. They were also ecstatic about the neon straws they could choose. Because kids will be kids, I think most everyone's smoothie ended up on their clothes or on the floor somehow. This was the first Kid's Café at Bethlehem Center, and we look forward to coming once a month to provide a meal or snack as well as nutrition education.

pfp_logo

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:39:19 +0000

Take the Pound for Pound Challenge

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:00:24 +0000

It's that time of year when many are trying to get their beach bodies ready. What better reason to shed those pounds than for a cause? Sign up for the Pound for Pound Challenge and help Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee feed those who are hungry. For every pound you pledge to lose through June 30, 2010, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 14 cents to Feeding America, which is hour nationally partnered organization. Fourteen cents is enough to deliver one pound of groceries to a local food bank like us. Watch the video below as Rebekah Jacques, our registered dietitian, explains more about the Pound for Pound Challenge and how to sign up. Go to http://www.pfpchallenge.com for more information.

First Harvest Café

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:00:07 +0000

The Café is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is open to the public. The lunch is an all-you-can-eat buffet and $12 a person. We hope to see you there! January 22, 2010 Menu Cajun Salute Macedonian Salad Chicken Etouffee Shrimp, Okra and Andouille Smoked Sausage Gumbo Green Beans Almondine Texmati Rice Banana Pudding Foster Recipe for Chicken Etouffe (for 8)

2(3pound) Chickens, each cut in 8 pieces
½ cp Onions, finely chopped
½ cp Celery, finely chopped
½ cp Bell Pepper, finely chopped
3 ½ cp Chicken Stock
½ cp Vegetable Oil
1/3 cp Flour

Seasoning Mix:

1 ½ tsp Salt
1 ½ tsp Cayenne
¾ tsp Black Pepper
½ tsp White Pepper
½ tsp Garlic Powder
4 cps Rice, 6 cps Water
Green Onions for garnish

Directions: 1.) Butcher chicken into 8 pieces and season with salt, garlic powder and red pepper, make sure each side is will covered. Let set at room temperature for 30 minutes. Put cut chicken into a large container and set in refrigerator until needed. 2.) Start on your gravy. Take a large skillet and pour in the cup of oil let it get hot before adding the flour. Add your flour in carefully, using a whisk stir the flour in until you have a thick texture (you may have to add more flour) this is called a roux. 3.) Cook the flour mixture until a nice dark golden brown. Remove from heat and pour in1/3cup of celery, onions, and bell pepper. In a small mixing bowl mix you’re seasoning together and add half to the flour mix, stir until well blended. Do not put back on heat. 4.) Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add in the roux mixture one spoon at a time whisking until it has dissolved; repeat this until chicken stock is a nice thick sauce almost like gravy. 5.) Remove chicken from refrigerator in a mixing bowl pour in some flour seasoning it with garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme. Make sure to coat both sides of the chicken and dust off any access flour before placing in the skillet. 6.) Once all the chicken has been cooked place in a oven pan with some gravy on the bottom and some to cover the chicken, repeat this until all chicken has been used. Heat in a 325º oven until chicken reaches 170º. ENJOY!!!

Junior Girl Scouts

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:04:21 +0000

GirlsScoutsBackPack

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:06:36 +0000

Round Up the Troops

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:11:21 +0000

[caption id="attachment_101" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Reese Wilton, Shannon Pickrell, Margot May, and Neha Ramanna help sort food for the Emergency Food Boxes."][/caption] Girl Scout Troop 47 from Julia Green came to the Food Bank last week for a community service project. The girls were very inquisitive about the mission of Second Harvest as well as the sorting process for the Emergency Food Boxes. Ben Webster, the volunteer coordinator for the evening shifts, said with a grin on his face that the girls asked question after question about the process that takes place in the warehouse and all the different programs at Second Harvest. Reese, one of the junior girls scouts, said her favorite part about her visit at the Food Bank was their tour of the freezer, and Shannon, another troop member, said she was excited to help others. These young girls are learning early about the value of volunteerism.

Smithfield Ham Donated 150,000 Servings

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:41:14 +0000

Wheelin' Food and Dealin' Hope

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:13:41 +0000

He's a Second Harvest truck driver by day and Christian rap star by night. Listen to Dewayne Petty's story about his experience working with Second Harvest and how it inspires him. ]

Super Bowl Sunday Food Drives

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:00:36 +0000

Some football enthusiasts will be screaming "Who Dat?" while the others will be yelling "Go Colts!" on this Super Bowl Sunday. Everyone knows that a good Super Bowl party has all those yummy finger foods, but this year try making your Super Bowl shindig even more worthwhile with a food drive. Tell all your guests to bring one canned good, and then simply drop it by your nearest Kroger or bring it to Second Harvest here at Metro Center. You'll have a great time with your friends and help feed Middle Tennessean's who are hungry. Please contact Heidi Tieslau, Second Harvest's Food and Fund Drive Manager, for more information at 615-627-1581 or heidi.tieslau@secondharvestmidtn.org. If she is unavailable, please visit our Web site at http://www.secondharvestmidtn.org, or call our front desk at 615-329-3491. Feel free to drop off your canned goods at the Food Bank located at 331 Great Circle Road in Metro Center.

Hunger in America 2010

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:27:23 +0000

A landmark study was released by Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, reports that more than 213,200 unduplicated people receive emergency food assistance each year through Second Harvest Food Bank and our community partners. The findings represent a 33 percent increase since the findings reported in Hunger in America 2006.

Hunger in America is the first research study to capture the significant connection between the recent economic downturn and an increased need for emergency food assistance. The number of children and adults in need of food as a result of experiencing food insecurity has significantly increased.

Hearts 4 Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:00:26 +0000

On Sunday, February 14, 2010, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and Lipscomb University invite you to partner with us in the Hearts4Hunger campaign by collecting a special contribution from your congregation. Together, we can feed two million hungry Tennesseans when they would otherwise be forgotten. Reclaim the true meaning of love by pledging to give a little and feed a lot. Have a heart for hunger.

First Harvest Café - American Road House

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:00:48 +0000

[caption id="attachment_135" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Frying chicken for First Harvest Café"][/caption]

American Road House

Toss Fresh Greens with Homemade Ranch Dressing

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Mac & Cheese

Chili Con Carne with shredded cheese, chopped onions, and sour cream

Home Style Rolls

Brownies

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Check out our Web site for upcoming menus or other SHFB of Mid-TN events: www.secondharvestmidtn.org

3HarvestCafe2-5

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:13:35 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:50:11 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:55:31 +0000

JerimiahKid'sCafe

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:56:10 +0000

Nashville Rollergirls Held Food Drive

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:49:40 +0000

As people lined up in the cold at the door of the sports arena at the Nashville Fairgrounds, the Nashville Rollergirls were taking on their rivals, the Atlanta Rollergirls. The first game of their season was a shut out as the Nashville Rollergirls beat Atlanta 158 to 51. Fans of the event were not only there to watch the Nashville Rollergirls dominate, but they were also encouraged to bring nonperishable food for Second Harvest. Those who donated peanut butter received some sweet Nashville Rollergirl swag, which were hot commodities as everyone was ecstatic upon receiving them. Second Harvest would like to thank the Nashville Rollergirls for hosting a food drive on our behalf.

Kids Cafe

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:00:03 +0000

By Rebekah Jacques Registered Dietitian, Nutrition Manager [caption id="attachment_146" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Rebekah helps the children at the Bethlehem Center with their activity"][/caption] Sixteen Kids Cafe sites partner with Second Harvest to provide afterschool snacks and meals to children in our community. Most of the Kids Cafe locations are found in churches, afterschool programs, and community centers. Children of all ages are served at these sites. As the Registered Dietitian of Second Harvest, I have the opportunity to visit each site and offer nutrition lessons to the children. Most of my lessons are planned for the afternoon when children are out of school for the day although preschoolers can be taught in the mornings. Nutrition activities are planned to be educational as well as fun and interactive! The children learn about the food guide pyramid and the importance of eating portions from each of the food groups. This past month I emphasized the importance of calcium for building strong bones and teeth. With the younger groups, I talked about milk, where it comes from and different sources of calcium. The older groups explored the differences and similarities of skim, 2 percent, and whole milk and learned that although the grams of fat vary, the percentage of calcium per serving stays the same. February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. Throughout this month, I will be reinforcing the importance of calcium and the role it plays in dental health. How they take care of their teeth now will impact their nutritional intake later in life. We want them to keep those teeth for as long as they live so we will be doing some fun activities together to encourage healthy dental habits. At the end of the activity, the children will get to help prepare and consume a healthy snack. Fruits and vegetables will more than likely be the next food groups to be covered in the following months. Teaching children from a young age is the best way to develop healthy eating habits although it is never too late to start!

StephenBirthdayBoy

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:40:46 +0000

birthdayparty

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:51:53 +0000

birthdayparty

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:54:17 +0000

Hearts4HungerLogo

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:30:59 +0000

Hearts4HungerLogo

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:31:25 +0000

Maya Bregman 1

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:19:05 +0000

Maya Bregman 1

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:19:27 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:35:52 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:35:56 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:59:52 +0000

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Open Your Heart to Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:00:34 +0000

Lipscomb University's Institute for Law, Justice, & Society (LJS) has developed the Hearts4Hunger campaign. This Sunday, Feb. 14th, Valentine's Day, church congregations around Middle Tennessee will be taking up collections for Hearts 4 Hunger. Melanie Reeves, an active student in LJS, said the group has vigorously called area churches challenging them to make the "Matthew 25:35" commitment. All those involved are hoping to raise enough money to feed two million hungry Middle Tennesseans. Remember, $1 provides four meals. The Lipscomb University community has already raised over five thousand dollars for the Hearts 4 Hunger campaign according to Patrick McAnally, the campaign's student director. Melanie said that she feels the students at Lipscomb can help feed Middle Tennessee's hungry with this effort, and they would love more people to get involved. If you would like more information about this Sunday, please contact Patrick at (256) 566-2223, or e-mail him at mcanallypb@mail.lipscomb.edu. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter.

58520431-8770510d3e778d92c7d2c8ba6418736f.4b563235-full

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 04:43:55 +0000

First Harvest Café—Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:00:12 +0000

Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet

House Salad with Cilantro Lime Vanaigrette

Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream, and Shredded Cheese

Sautéed Green and Red Peppers and Sautéed Onions

Grilled Chicken Fajitas Steak

Vegetarian Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)

Mexican Rice

Nachos

Key Lime Bars

Ms. Cheap, Mary Hance, Helps Fight Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:51:51 +0000

Mary tells her story of how she became involved with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and hopes others will help her in her efforts. She said that she feels hunger is such a basic need, and with her Penny Drive for Second Harvest, she helped raise over $14,000 for the Food Bank!

Birthday Celebration at the Food Bank

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:00:32 +0000

[caption id="attachment_159" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Stephen celebrates his ninth birthday at the Food Bank"][/caption]

Nine-year-old Stephen celebrated his birthday with a slew of friends here at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee on Friday, Feb. 5th. The young boys scurried around the warehouse full of energy as they threw plastic grocery bags in the air and watched them parachute to the ground. Meghan Markie, Second Harvest's Volunteer Services Manager, said this group was probably the most energetic group she had ever had at the food bank. Stephen and his friends packed backpacks for our BackPack Program, and they made their volunteering into a competition. The boys tried to see who could pack the most. "The smallest boy in the bunch packed two backpacks at a time," Meghan said smiling. Although they were avidly trying to pack as many bags as possible, Meghan was amazed at how meticulous and careful the boys were being about what went into each one. These 8- and 9-year-old boys packed a total of 110 backpacks in 45 minutes! David Ackerman, Stephen's father, said it was initially his idea to have Stephen's party at the Food Bank, and the nine-year-old loved the idea. Stephen is in second grade at Percy Priest Elementary School.

Volunteer Spotlight: Maya Bregman

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:00:06 +0000

[caption id="attachment_180" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Maya during a volunteer session at Second Harvest's Culinary Arts Center"][/caption] Maya Bregman has always had a heart of a volunteer. Her spirit has benefited Second Harvest not only by the help Maya provides when she comes to volunteer; but by the inspiration she gives to the employees and other volunteers who are privileged to work with her. Each of the five members of the Bregman Family serve in the community on a regular basis. Mark Rubin, Director of the Culinary Arts Center at Second Harvest, said "Maya follows in her siblings footsteps, embracing her family’s’ commitment of giving, her Jewish traditions of tzedek (Hebrew word for “acts of giving”), and the joy of community betterment. Not only does she give of herself, she teaches others the value of the human spirit through making a difference." Maya has overcome significant challenges in the form of developmental disabilities to volunteer at Second Harvest every week. Since volunteering at the food bank, she has labeled over 4,000 unlabeled cans. These cans would not have been able to be distributed to hungry people without a label. She has packed multiple backpacks for Second Harvest's Backpack Program, and has volunteered in the Culinary Arts Center with Chef Mark Rubin, assisting with catered fundraisers. From 2007-2009, Maya completed 13 service projects as part of her preparation for her Bat Mitzvah. During that time, Maya lead a food drive at her school, for which she filmed a school-wide PSA. Additionally, she baked for the Ronald McDonald House and for a Christmas celebration at Room at the Inn. For two years, she raised money for and walked in the AIDS Walk. Maya also gave her time to collect pajamas for The Pajama Project. Maya uses a computerized talker to communicate. This allows her to come to "work" (Second Harvest) and greet staff, take instructions, and speak with her talker. However, the radiant smile on Maya's face, and the sheer joy beaming from her eyes and face upon greeting our staff is more rewarding than anything that her talker could communicate. Maya is a great listener and always completes tasks thoroughly. She pays attention to quality and can be dependable to show up to work with a huge smile on her face. Second Harvest staff have not only benefitted from Maya's bright spirit and her hard work, but we have learned how to help Maya practice appropriate work behaviors. This has become as gratifying to our staff as the hours Maya puts in volunteering. We have been able to learn how we can be a part of Maya's education, in addition to being a place she comes to work. Being a part of helping Maya, even as she helps us, is wonderfully rewarding for our staff. Caroline Foley, Second Harvest's Volunteer Associate, said, "Having Maya as a Second Harvest Volunteer not only adds joy to my day but has inspired our Volunteer Services Team to provide volunteer experiences that assist in professional and personal development for all of our special needs volunteers. She shows us all what compassion and generosity really are." Joanne, Maya's mom, who comes to volunteer with her each week, said "Maya is often seen as someone who needs everyone's help and support and requires quite a bit from the community, but through her volunteerism, she has the opportunity for people to see her as a contributor who can participate in a meaningful way. Not only can it reshape the way people view individuals like herself, but it also allows her to give back."

MOB Volunteers

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:39:08 +0000

Lending a Helping Hand

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:00:53 +0000

[caption id="attachment_199" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Second Harvest Volunteers at the Martha O'Bryan Center"][/caption] Walking into the food pantry at the Martha O'Bryan Center, the smells of fresh paint and turpentine were overwhelming. Second Harvest volunteers painted shelves, walls, trim, and a bathroom in order to refurbish and give this food pantry new life on Tuesday, Feb. 16th. This volunteer session was part of a pilot program, which Second Harvest has coined Emergency Food Box Project Days. Each Emergency Food Box site will be able to use Second Harvest volunteers twice a year to do projects that are needed, and the Martha O'Bryan Center was the first location to utilize our willing volunteers. By having our volunteers help at other locations, they get to see where some of Second Harvest's food is distributed as well as learn about organizations. They received a tour of the Martha O'Bryan Center. Many of Tuesday's volunteers were assigned to volunteer to Second Harvest through Hands On Nashville, and many volunteers like Giorgio Berry, a senior English major at Vanderbilt University, said the free Disney ticket lured him to donate his time. Tineciaa Harris, a student at Meharry, said she and her friends try to volunteer for nonprofits with different missions each month. "This is simply my time to give back," she said.

RandyRayburn

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:56:12 +0000

Middle Tennessee's Table Non-Event Patron's Party

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:00:15 +0000

[caption id="attachment_209" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Randy Rayburn at Middle Tennessee's Non-Event Patron's Party"][/caption] David and Karen Conrad opened their beautiful home to Second Harvest to host the Patron's Party for Middle Tennessee's Table Non-Event. Artistic photography and paintings covered the walls, and the aroma of Randy Rayburn's Cajun smoked salmon and chicken meatballs filled the air. Randy has a long history working with Second Harvest. He noted that he started the Patron's Party for Middle Tennessee's Table (formerly Nashville's Table) close to 16 years ago in order to grow the mission and budget. He said that over a 10-year period his restaurants, Midtown Café, Sunset Grill, and Cabana, have donated about $300,000 worth of goods, services, and money. He said he likes to give at least 1 percent of his restaurants' annual sales back to the food back in some fashion as his way of tithing and giving to the community. Watch David and Karen Conrad's interview about how they became involved with Second Harvest Food Bank!

CAC2-18-10

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:22:08 +0000

First Harvest Café - Tuscan Holiday

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:00:07 +0000

[caption id="attachment_213" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Volunteers rolling meatballs for First Harvest Café"][/caption] Tuscan Holiday Genoa Salad

Fettuccini with Artichokes and Diced tomatoes

Penne with Broccolini, Walnuts, Pecorino and Red Peppers

Linguine with Nancy’s favorite Meatball recipe and Winter Red Sauce

Asiago Bread

Homemade Tiramisu

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need. Check out our Web site for upcoming menus or other events:

www.secondharvestnashville.org

Recipe for Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe, Garlic, and Pine Nute

1 lb. broccoli rabe

3/4 dried orecchiette 1 TBSP butter 2 TBSP olive oil 1/2 cup yellow onions diced 1/2 cup pine nuts 1-2 fresh small red chilies seed and sliced into thin strips 4 tsp fresh minced garlic 1 1/2 cups of vegetable stock 2 TBSP parsley minced Salt and pepper Fresh grated parmesan

Trim the broccoli rabe of the tough parts of stems and leaves, (keep tender leaves). Cut stems and leaves into 1 inch pieces. Keep florets whole. In steamer, add stems and wait 3 minutes to add leaves and florets. Remove all after 3 minutes.
Cook orecchiette according to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, heat up a large skillet over medium heat and add oil until golden brown. Add onions and pine nuts sauté until onions are translucent and pine nuts are golden brown. Add chilies and garlic. Cook until very fragrant (1 to 2 minutes), add broccoli rabe and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add stock, bring to boil, lower heat to low and simmer for a few minutes.
Drain pasta (use some of the pasta water in the pasta bowl to warm up the bowl). Toss sauce and pasta in pasta bowl.
Add Salt and pepper to the taste.
Top with fresh grated parmesan and serve.

Sherry&Karen@UNA

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:58:57 +0000

UNA1

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:00:05 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:50:53 +0000

Read to Feed

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:00:53 +0000

Clear your calendar for Tuesday night, Feb. 23rd, and join us for Louis Upkins, Jr.'s book signing here at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee from 5 to 7 p.m.. The local entrepreneur will be signing and selling his popular book Treat Me Like a Customer. His book is sure to teach people to apply customer service principles to their family-life helping them to become better spouses and parents. The proceeds from the reception's book sales will be given to support Second Harvest's Kids Cafe program. We hope to see you all at this event! Please RSVP here.

Hispanic Population increases at EFB Site

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:00:36 +0000

[caption id="attachment_216" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Karen Sawyer and Sherri Duncan at Una Church of Christ"][/caption] The fact that the Hispanic population in the United States has increased is old news, but the fact that seven percent of those whom Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee serves are Hispanic is new information. One of our Emergency Food Box (EFB) sites, has always served a larger Hispanic population, but now the Hispanic population makes up 95 to 97 percent of those the Una Church of Christ located on Old Murfreesboro Road helps. Sherri Duncan, the church's benevolence administrator, said when their EFB site opened in June 2009 they would receive enough food to fill 25 boxes, but now the organization fills 135 to 138 boxes a week to hand out. Una receives about six to seven pallets of food weekly. Their doors are open every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to give food, and people started waiting in line in the freezing cold at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18th. With Karen Sawyer, the church secretary, translating, 21-year-old Gilberto Salinas said he walked to Una, and he was one of those that got to the EFB site extra early. This was Gilberto's second time to receive food assistance, and he said he wouldn't know what to do without Second Harvest. He said that he and his wife simply wouldn't eat, which is what they have had to do before. He and his wife feel secure that they have a place to get food. Because this is one of the only locations that has Spanish-speaking volunteers, they receive an abundance of people from other [caption id="attachment_217" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Gilberto Salinas received food from Una Church of Christ, one of Second Harvest's Emergency Food Box sites."][/caption] zip codes. Individuals that arrive to the EFB site to receive food and live outside of the site's zip code can only receive emergency food assistance once from that particular location. If these individuals return, the EFB site has to direct them to the site that is located within their personal zip code. Sherri said these people want to come to their EFB location because other sites don't have volunteers that speak fluent Spanish, and the language barrier is too great for them at other sites.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:55:02 +0000

Expanding the Disney Give a Day, Get a Day Campaign

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:00:43 +0000

There have been many community members volunteer their time here at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, especially with Walt Disney's "Give a Day, Get a Day" campaign through Hands on Nashville. The Disney campaign has now been expanded to those who want to organize food drives. Second Harvest is always in need of non-perishable goods for the Emergency Food Box program. Some of the most needed items are: peanut butter, baby food, canned meat, canned vegetables, canned fruit, Mac-N-Cheese, and cereal. Heidi Tieslau said that food drive donations have been down due to the time of year. "We want to encourage people to organize their own food drive because our need is up here at the food bank," Heidi said. In order to participate in "Give a Day, Get a Day," this has to be a group organized food drive, and food drive organizers have to sign up through Hands on Nashville to get the Disney credit. Once the food is collected, organizers must sign in at the Food Bank when dropping off their donation. Following these steps will ensure your day at Disney. Please sign up for your food drive here.

Chef Mark wins Chef of the Year

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:21:21 +0000

[caption id="attachment_238" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Second Harvest Culinary Arts Center Director, Mark Rubin"][/caption] There is a big congratulations in order to Second Harvest's very own Mark Rubin. On February 21, 2010, Mark was named Chef of the Year by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the American Culinary Federation during the annual gala and awards ceremony. Mark said he was totally surprised and thought someone else was going to win. "I was glowing with happiness," Mark exclaimed. In the Second Harvest Culinary Arts Center, he teased his assistant chef, Claudette Patterson, for screaming with joy after the announcement, and she burst into laughter reminiscing the moment. He noted that this award was voted on by chefs that had previously won this award. "It's like being selected to the pro bowl by fellow players," Mark said. Mark was also awarded with the Bill James Humanitarian Award, and he said he could not feel more honored.

Mark

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:16:23 +0000

First Harvest Café - French Cruise

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:00:41 +0000

[caption id="attachment_242" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Marva Collins helps prepare Chicken Dijonnaise"][/caption] French Cruise Spinach Salad Tossed with Purple Onions and Bacon (or pine nuts) Sautéed Vegetables Egg Noodles Chicken Dijonnaise “Boeuf” Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy) Homemade Éclairs For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need. Chicken Dijonnaise Serve: 4 2-10oz- Boneless Chicken Breast (split breast and cut into thin cutlets) 3/4cups Cheddar Cheese Crackers (prefer P.F) 3/41cups Grated Parmesan Cheese 3/4cups Plain Bread Crumbs 2 oz Butter 2 oz Flour 2 cups Milk 1 Shallots 1 cup White Wine 1/4 Cream 1/4 Dijon Mustard Salt /White Pepper 1 egg and cup milk whisked together Sauce 1.) Make roux let cool. 2.) Heat oil and sweat shallots, add white wine and reduce to about 1/4 3.) Start heating your milk. 4.) Add your roux to the hot milk (before it begins to boil) continue to add roux until desired thickness 5.) Bring to boil add cream simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 6.) Add your Dijon mustard do not let come to a boil. 7.) Blend cheddar crackers in food processor; add bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. 8.) Dip chicken cutlets into egg wash then coat with bread crumb mixture. 9.) Heat skillet on high medium heat until pan is hot, add oil and sauté coated chicken cutlets until golden brown on each side. Keep warm in 180° oven. To serve: place 1 cutlet on the plate and the 2nd cutlet over lapping the 1st by more than an inch. Finish with sauce.

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:22:17 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:00:44 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:04:54 +0000

Vanderbilt ATO Chapter Extends Their Service

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:00:48 +0000

[caption id="attachment_256" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Vanderbilt ATO chapter volunteers at the Food Bank"][/caption] While the Vanderbilt ATO chapter is no stranger to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, they always arrive ready to work. Caroline Foley, the volunteer coordinator, raved about how helpful this group has been and described them as extremely reliable. "I always look forward to having them here because they have wonderful work ethics," Caroline said. "They are willing to do absolutely anything that needs to be done. They're happy to do any task that helps our organization!" Mike Sandler, ATO president and a junior at Vanderbilt, said they always enjoy extending their service to the community, and Second Harvest was their first pick. "We really enjoy coming to the Food Bank, and it helps knowing that we're helping others in the process," Mike said. These fraternity brothers plan to come back on a regular basis to volunteer, and Caroline couldn't be happier about that since she said these guys always work with a smile.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:17:44 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:35:26 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:37:08 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:41:55 +0000

Donated trucks help distribute food in Middle Tennessee

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:00:49 +0000

[caption id="attachment_260" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Truck donated by Kroger"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_264" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Truck donated by CareAll Home Services"][/caption] Two new Second Harvest trucks were purchased recently due to the generosity of two local businesses. CareAll Home Services donated the funds to purchase a 20-foot truck, which is used for fresh food pick-up for Middle Tennessee’s Table, a grocery rescue program of Second Harvest. This truck has the capacity to transport up to 8,000 pounds of food! The 48-foot truck was purchased by the generous donation of Kroger, a long-time supporter of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. This truck is able to pick up food donations for Middle Tennessee’s Table as well as distribute food through our 46-county service area. Many thanks to Kroger and CareAll Home Services for their continued support in the fight against hunger in Middle Tennessee.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:42:39 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:46:33 +0000

Challenge PLUS

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:00:05 +0000

Thousands of hunger advocates across the country are taking the Pound for Pound Challenge to “Lose Nationally, Feed Locally.” Now you can do even more to support our efforts right here in Middle Tennessee by joining us in Challenge PLUS!

The Challenge PLUS is a fun and creative way for you to fight hunger right in your community — and get your friends and family involved, too! Three easy steps to get started: 1. Sign up at www.feedingamerica.org/challengeplus. 2. Create your own customized Web page and invite your friends, family, and coworkers to join. 3. Track your progress and receive special fundraising tips from the Challenge PLUS participant resource center. Don’t forget, for every $1 you raise, you are providing 4 meals for individuals, families and children in need right here in Middle Tennessee!

First Harvest Café - Tennessee River Marina Buffet

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:00:25 +0000

Tennessee River Marina Buffet Cole Slaw with Homemade Dressing Not Yet Famous Fried Catfish BBQ Chicken White Beans Sautéed Zucchini Johnny Cakes Pecan Bars For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need. Check out our website for upcoming menus or other SHFB of Mid-TN events: www.secondharvestnashville.org

We Can End This Instructions

Second Harvest Staff — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:59:20 +0000

We Can End This Instructions

Second Harvest Staff — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:00:34 +0000

We Can End This Instructions[1]

Second Harvest Staff — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:01:33 +0000

We Can End This

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:00:37 +0000

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has a huge opportunity to win a truckload of food from Tyson Foods, and WE NEED YOUR HELP! A new initiative called “We Can End This” was kicked off last week to raise awareness about the cause of hunger relief and to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! HOW YOU CAN HELP… Go to http://wecanendthis.com/ Pledge to take action – for every action pledged, we will receive a virtual can of food. The top 10 states with the most support by 4 p.m. central time on March 18 will win a truckload of food from Tyson for their state. All together, Tyson will be donating 1.5 million meals! Make your pledge today and help bring 150,000 meals to hungry people in Tennessee!

Volunteer Spotlight: LaDonna Bowers

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:24 +0000

[caption id="attachment_251" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="LaDonna Bowers during an evening volunteer shift in the sorting room"][/caption] During a career transition last July, LaDonna Bowers, an East Tennessee native, got involved with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee through Hands on Nashville. She said that she signed up for a food sorting session wanting to use her spare time in a productive manner, and she was immediately hooked on Second Harvest’s mission. She noted that it was enjoyable to volunteer with other community members who desire to help, and Ben Webster, Second Harvest’s evening volunteer coordinator, described LaDonna as a tremendous volunteer. “I know I can always rely on her whenever things get crazy or something needs to be done,” Ben said. LaDonna said that the people she has met through Second Harvest, either employees or co-volunteers, were among her favorite people in Nashville. “Another positive of volunteering is that ultimately lives are positively affected by a few hours of time given each week,” LaDonna exclaimed. LaDonna described her various Second Harvest volunteer activities as fun and occasionally tiring. She said that she has performed tasks such as making ribbons, carrying boxes, sorting rice, and making backpacks in the sorting room, and she has also enjoyed volunteering in the Food Bank’s Culinary Arts Center chopping onions, making tea, and washing dishes. “I try to find joy in any task, and one can usually find a little humor, as well,” LaDonna noted. She has nicknamed this year her “year of service” as she will begin in a new operations role with United Technologies in June.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:13:57 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:44:32 +0000

Clay County Mobile Pantry

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:00:28 +0000

[caption id="attachment_284" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Clay County Mobile Pantry at Celina United Methodist Church"][/caption] About 320 households in Clay County received food assistance on Feb. 19th during a Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee Mobile Pantry at Celina United Methodist Church. Celina UMC Pastor Keith Long said that he and the rest of the volunteers were thrilled to help so many people during this rough economy. "All the positive adjectives apply," Pastor Keith exclaimed. "It was really awesome to see three high school volunteers per client carrying boxes of food to the client's car. It's just great to know that those with hunger issues were helped." Volunteers ranged from high school students to Lions Club members to local church members and others within the community. Jervon Dailey, a Second Harvest agency relations manager, said that each Mobile Pantry costs $2,500. "If we can find grants, agencies only have to pay $500 to cover costs of the food," Jervon noted. She said that there was a large need in Clay County, and she said people were very gracious after receiving food from the Mobile Pantry. There will be a new Second Harvest partner agency in Clay County by the end of the week according to Jervon. Clay County Helping Hands will be our newest partner agency. In order for organizations to become partner agencies, they have to be a nonprofit and distribute food to the needy, homeless, infants, children, or seniors.

Thank you Macy's!

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:00:28 +0000

[caption id="attachment_288" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Macy's employees at Hickory Hollow Mall"][/caption] Macy's department stores across the country are helping their local food banks by participating in the Bag Hunger campaign. This is an employee volunteer program, and Kathy Cornelius, Macy's administrative support team supervisor and Bag Hunger chairperson at Hickory Hollow Mall, said that the employees were hosting various fundraising events such as bake sales and silent auctions for Second Harvest. They are also hosting an employee food drive. "Right now, we have met about 20 percent of our $2,000 fundraising goal," Kathy said. For every $25 or more that is donated to the food bank during the Bag Hunger campaign, the Macy's corporation will match 100 percent of the employee's donation. Macy's will also donate $20 for every hour an employee volunteers at Second Harvest. The group began this in-house campaign at the beginning of March, and it will conclude on March 19th. "The realization that there are hungry individuals right here in Tennessee is astonishing, and we're happy to do our part by helping," Kathy noted. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee sends out a BIG thank you to all those who are participating in Macy's Bag Hunger campaign. Your support is much appreciated!

First Harvest Café—Cajun Salute

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:00:17 +0000

[caption id="attachment_293" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Assistant Chef Claudette Patterson and Kimberly Dougher, volunteer, prepare the gumbo."][/caption] Cajun Salute Macedoine Salad Chicken Etouffeè Shrimp, Okra and Andouille Smoked Sausage Gumbo Red Bean and Rice Green Beans Almondè Bourbon Street Bread Pudding For $12 per person (tax included,) you receive a great lunch. and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need. Recipe for Bourbon Street Bread Pudding

Bread Pudding 1 x hotel pan
3.5 Loaves of French bread
10 eggs
2.5 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
10 cups milk
2.5 cups whipping cream
1.5 cups mixed dried fruit (dates, craisans currants, sultanas)

Break bread into large cubes
Mix in dried fruit, cinnamon, nutmeg
Whip eggs with sugar until sugar is dissolved
Stir in milk and cream
Mix wet ingredients into dry until well soaked
Bake at 350 degs for 40 minutes

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:49:56 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:27:31 +0000

Living for a Cause

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:00:20 +0000

If you like technology and you like helping the community, you should definitely check these out. CauseWorld, an iPhone and Driod application, lets you virtually donate to organizations such as Feeding America. You do good deeds to build up karma points, and you donate your karma points to different charitable organizations. Corporations such as Kraft Foods and Citi Group turn your karma points into real money. They will give a monetary donation to the charities in which you donate karma points. The other Web site that should be on your radar is Tickets-for-Charity. You can buy tickets to concerts, sporting events, or the theater, and a portion of the ticket prices will be donated to your charity of choice. If you're going to the James Taylor and Carole King concert at Bridgestone Arena here in Nashville on May 22, 2010, you should purchase your tickets through this Web site in order for a portion of your ticket prices to be donated to Feeding America.

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:48:24 +0000

Spring Breakers

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:00:25 +0000

[caption id="attachment_303" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Andie and Olivia spend their spring break volunteering in the Nashville area."][/caption] Junior high students from Hunter Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. are spending their spring break working in the Nashville community. There were 40 seventh and eighth graders roaming the warehouse floors hauling empty boxes and furiously working in assembly lines in the sort room on Monday, March 15. Becky Dedge, one of the group's leaders, said they planned to have 40 more volunteers helping at the Food Bank today. "These students want to strive to be the hands and feet of God," Becky noted. "They want to fill physical needs as well as share the gospel." Andie Clanton, a 13-year-old eighth grader, said she was enjoying her volunteer experience. "It has been really cool getting to see everything that comes into the Food Bank and then understanding how it gets to the community," Andie exclaimed. Becky said the group is a part of the choir Higher Ground, and they arrived in Nashville on Saturday and will return to Birmingham on Wednesday. She said the students have been singing at different nonprofits, schools, and churches once a day upon their arrival in the Middle Tennessee area. Becky recognized that they are volunteering at other Nashville nonprofit organizations, which are some of Second Harvest's partner agencies. They have been and are continuing to volunteer at organizations such as: Nashville Rescue Mission, Ronald McDonald House, Graceworks Ministries, Oasis Center, and Room In the Inn. It is safe to say that their volunteer presence is a gift to Nashville.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:14:07 +0000

We Can End This

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:15 +0000

Second Harvest needs your help! There is only one more day in the We Can End This contest. The We Can End This initiative is actually a yearlong campaign that is striving to get Americans' attention and create a tangible solution for hunger, but their state competition ends Thursday. Help us stay in the Top 10 states in order for each Tennessee food bank with a Feeding America affiliation (which means Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee) to receive a truckload of food from Tyson. There is no monetary obligation. All you have to do is PLEDGE to volunteer or donate food/money to your local food bank. Many of you probably already do this by donating to food drives. The donation from Tyson is supposed to equal 150,000 meals for the Volunteer State, which is much needed since Tennessee is one of the hungriest states in the nation. As always, Second Harvest appreciates all the support from the community. Thank you. Please visit http://wecanendthis.com to donate your digital can, which will get us one step closer to receiving the truckload of food from Tyson!

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:20:17 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:20:48 +0000

Gap's Give and Get Discount Coupon

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:00:11 +0000

Today starts Gap's Give and Get discount! You and your friends can enjoy a 30 percent discount at Gap, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory Store, Old Navy, and Piperlime from now until Sunday, March 21st. Five percent of the total amount you spend at one of these retail stores will be donated to Feeding America. Click here to enjoy your shopping coupon, and make sure to pass this discount around to all your friends! Also, please don't forget to sign up and donate your FREE digital can at http://wecanendthis.com. Today is the last day of this campaign, and we want to clench a Top 10 spot in order for Tennessee's five Feeding America food banks to receive a truckload of food from Tyson. This donation is the equivalent to 150,000 meals that can feed hungry Tennesseans. Please help us!

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:21:51 +0000

First Harvest Café—American Road House

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:00:09 +0000

[caption id="attachment_326" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Rachel Bolyard and her grandmother Patty Bolyard help prepare cake for First Harvest Café."][/caption] American Road House Cole Slaw Buttermilk Fried Chicken Fresh Made Mashed Potatoes Green Peas and Pearl Onions Mark’s Old Time Meatloaf & Gravy Home Style Rolls Strawberry Pudding Cake For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need. Rhubarb Strawberry Pudding Cake (6x’s recipe) 1 ½ cups Water 3 tsp Cornstarch 2 cups plus 3 cups sugar 18 cup fresh Rhubarb Stalks 18 cup fresh Strawberries 6 cup all purpose Flour 4 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Salt 6 large Eggs 3cups whole Milk 6 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 1.) Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400degrees. Butter a 8inch square glass or ceramic baking dish. 2.) Stir together cornstarch, water, and 2cp sugar in a small saucepan, then stir in rhubarb. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, then simmer, stirring occasionally, 3minutes. Remove from heat and stir in strawberries. 3.) Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and remaining sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk together egg, milk, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined. 4.) Reserve ½ cup fruit mixture, then add remainder to baking dish and pour batter over it, spreading evenly. Drizzle reserved ½ cup fruit mixture over batter. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center of cake portion comes out clean, 25to30minutes. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes before serving.

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:51:19 +0000

Miss Tennessee's Outstanding Teen Advocates Hunger Awareness

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:42 +0000

[caption id="attachment_323" align="alignright" width="199" caption="Maggie Belew was crowned Miss Tennessee's Outstanding Teen 2010 on March 13th."][/caption] One in eight Tennesseans are at risk of hunger according to the Feeding America 2010 Hunger Study, and Maggie Belew, a 17-year-old Greenfield High School student, has made it her mission to raise awareness. She was crowned Miss Tennessee's Outstanding Teen in Jackson, Tenn. on March 13, 2010. Her platform focuses on hunger awareness, and she said that she plans to travel across Tennessee to different communities and speak with schools and civic organizations about the causes and effects of hunger. "I believe the more people that realize how big of a problem hunger is in the state of Tennessee, the more people will want to get involved," Maggie stated. "I plan to organize food drives to help out local pantries across our state." Maggie contributed her fight against hunger platform to a 30 hour famine event that was held through her church's youth group. She said that she and her youth group fasted for 30 hours as they learned about hunger and performed various acts of community service. "During this time. I learned so many devastating facts about hunger, not just around the world, but right in our own communities," Maggie said. "Ever since that weekend, I have been passionate about helping fight agaist hunger." Maggie has plans of expanding her fight against hunger outside of Weakley County, where she has participated in food drives as well as prepared and delivered Thanksgiving meals through her Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter from school, to the rest of the state.

Feeding Hope in Hohenwald

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:00:34 +0000

Volunteers from all over Lewis County congregate at the Lewis County Food Bank weekly to help with their food pantry and thrift store. Lewis County Food Bank hosted a mobile pantry on Friday, March 19th giving food assistance to those in the community. Watch the videos below to see how two volunteers like Anna and Martha keep coming back to help.

Times are Tough

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 08:00:12 +0000

The phrase "times are tough" is the phrase for many Middle Tennesseans as the economy takes a nose dive. Watch Mary Robinson's video as she goes through the line at the mobile panty in Lewis County and tells her story about unemployment and trying to meet basic needs.

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:31:16 +0000

Second Harvest receives 144,000 Eggs

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:48:56 +0000

[caption id="attachment_335" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Chuck Roward, the Food Bank's shipping and receiving clerk, drove 12 pallets of eggs to the cold dock in the Second Harvest warehouse."][/caption] Cal-Maine, the largest producer and marketer of shell eggs in the United States, gave the Easter Bunny something to hop about as they donated more than 144,000 eggs to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, March 24, at 10 a.m. Tennessee currently is suffering from a 13.5 percent food insecurity rate, which makes donations like this especially important. Jaynee Day, Second Harvest's President and CEO, said that all 144,000 eggs will be distributed to the Food Bank's partner agencies within two to three days. For the third year in a row, United Egg Producers and Feeding America teamed up in the fight against hunger, and local egg farmers across America are dropping off truckloads of much needed protein to local food banks just in time for Easter. The partnership here in Tennessee and throughout the nation will help feed the nearly 49 million men, women and children in America who are at risk of hunger. “We are excited about the donation of 144,000 dozen eggs to the Food Bank,” Jaynee said. “This annual donation enables us to provide much needed protein to our Community Food Partners and Emergency Food Box agencies to distribute to those in need.” In coordination with Feeding America, egg farmers nationwide will be donating more than 12 million eggs to help make sure America’s food banks are well stocked with nutrient-dense eggs. “United Egg Producers’s members are dedicated to helping their local communities,” said Gene Gregory, president of United Egg Producers. “Our hope is that this donation during the Easter holiday makes a significant difference in the lives of many people who live at risk of hunger.”

First Harvest Café: Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 08:00:56 +0000

Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet House Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Sautéed Green and Red Peppers with Sautéed Onions Grilled Chicken Fajitas Dry Rubbed Grilled Flank Steak Vegetarian Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos) Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream, and Shredded Cheese Mexican Rice Nachos Key Lime Bars For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch. Help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need. Check out our website for upcoming menus or other SHFB of Mid-TN events: www.secondharvestnashville.org

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:04:19 +0000

ConAgra: Child Hunger Ends Here

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:04:35 +0000

ConAgra Food is joining forces with Feeding America to fight child hunger this spring. Here's how you can get involved! 1. Neighborhood Rallies - Rally your neighbors and make a difference for kids struggling with hunger in our communities. - Visit www.childhungerendshere.com to register your event. ConAgra will provide you with a rally kit that includes posters, coupon sheets, and banners to promote your event. - ConAgra and Feeding America provide great tips on how to organize your neighborhood event and raise funds for Second Harvest Food Bank. - Ideas for rallies include: Bake Sales, Garage Sales, Church Potlucks, School Penny Drives, and Neighborhood Barbecues, and Block Parties. 2. Trigger a donation to Feeding America through the purchase of ConAgra Brands - With the purchase of amy of the following brands, the equivalent of one meal will be donated to Feeding America. Consider purchasing these brands as part of your neighborhood rallies: Marie Callendar's, Peter Pan Peanut Butter, Orville Redenbacher Banquet, Hunt's, Healthy Choice, and Chef Boyardee.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:46:30 +0000

Skip Lunch, Feed a Bunch

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:00:27 +0000

SKIP LUNCH, FEED A BUNCH This April, you’re invited to join in with your family, neighbors, and co-workers as we Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch! It’s that time of year for Second Harvest Food Bank’s annual drive to encourage Middle Tennesseans to sacrifice one meal for the sake of feeding those in our community. What difference can one meal make? Consider that $1 provides 4 meals to feed hungry people in our community. By pledging to give the cost of one meal (or more), you can provide for many that would otherwise go hungry. $5 = 20 meals $10 = 40 meals $25 = 100 meals $50 = 200 meals $100 = 400 meals To be a part of Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch, just click here to make your pledge today!

Tyson Donates 15 tons of protein celebrating local Hunger All-Star

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:00:52 +0000

Tyson Foods, Inc. honored Nashvillian Pete Nebhut for his hunger-relief efforts by selecting him as the next Tyson Hunger All-Star. It is an honor that came with a donation of more than 15 tons of Tyson products to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 03:36:39 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 03:38:04 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 03:51:43 +0000

The Time Jumpers to Perform at Sing for Their Supper

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:00:17 +0000

This year's concert benefitting our Children's Feeding Programs will not only bring music to one's ears, but the event will also feed hungry appetites as the legendary Loveless Café will serve a delicious dinner buffet. Kenny Sears, one of the band's fiddle players, said he is excited about performing at the Loveless Barn for the first time, especially for such a worthy cause. Terry Choate, the band's manager, noted that since the Time Jumpers are a local group, everyone was on board for supporting the fight against hunger within the community. Terry also said it helped that David Conrad, a Second Harvest patron and music industry leader, initially approached him about having the band perform at Sing for Their Supper. Kenny joked that performing at the concert would be a win for everyone since the audience and band will have blast, and they will all be raising funds for those in need. While there will be plenty of entertainment going around, Terry and Kenny said the audience is sure to be surprised. Kenny prides his band's music as being timeless. He said folks will be hearing a lot of country shuffle and Western swing, and he said that audience members will most likely be graced with the presence of their newest Time Jumper—Vince Gill. Kenny exclaimed that ticket holders might even hear a new song that Vince has been writing, which has become one of Kenny's favorite songs to play. When Kenny isn't playing in The Time Jumpers, he is giving classical violin and country fiddle lessons, or some might even find him playing on stage at the Grand Ole Opry. Kenny said that all the band members have their own musical careers, and Terry was quick to point out that these musicians are at the top of their game. "The music reaches all ages, is great fun to listen to, and you never know what special guests may join in," Terry said. "Each Time Jumpers' performance is a special moment in time begging to be enjoyed." Make sure you don't miss out on this unique opportunity to hear these foot-tapping tunes by some of Nashville's best! Please click here for more concert details and to purchase tickets.

First Harvest Café—Tuscan Holiday

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 08:00:29 +0000

Tuscan Holiday Caesar Salad Angel Hair Pasta w/ Swiss Chard, Golden Raisins, and Pine nuts Homemade Meatball and Linguine and Red Sauce Chicken Parmigianino Homemade Tiramisu For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Oak Hill School Students Volunteer at Second Harvest

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 08:00:21 +0000

Oak Hill School sixth graders volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee as a leadership initiative on Friday, April 9, 2010.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 21:35:58 +0000

Former American Idols Give Back to Second Harvest

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:00:49 +0000

Former American Idol finalists will be volunteering their time at Feeding America’s local food banks, which means these American Idols will be volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee this afternoon. These local American Idols will be preparing disaster relief boxes for the Feeding America network of food banks here in our warehouse. Feeding America is one of the beneficiaries of Idol "Gives Back" that airs on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 on FOX. R4W4ENGPRRJY

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:33:49 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:16:14 +0000

Skip Lunch, Feed a Bunch is in Full Swing

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:00:01 +0000

We’re halfway through April, which means the Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch campaign is in full swing. Hundreds of Middle Tennesseans have already pledged to skip one meal or more this month to help feed the hungry in our community. You still have time to sign up today! Every $1 donated to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee provides 4 meals to hungry men, women, and children in our 46-county service area. Your $5 donation will provide 20 meals, $25 will give 100 meals, and $50 expands to 200 meals. What a way to stretch a meal into so much more! Join us this month as we Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch.

Idol Gives Back

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:27:02 +0000

"Idol Gives Back" has raised more than $140 million to benefit charities around the world and across the U.S. The two-hour fundraising event will return to FOX on Wednesday, April 21 at 8/7c. Feeding America is excited to once again partner as one of the beneficiaries of the event, and the staff at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee was thrilled to host the former contestants at our facility.

First Harvest Café: French Cruise

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:00:08 +0000

French Cruise Spinach Salad Tossed with Purple Onions and Bacon (or Pinenuts) Green Beans Almonde´ Egg Noodles Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Chicken “Boeuf” Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy) Strawberry Clafouti For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Harlem Globetrotters Host Food Drive This Sunday

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:00:47 +0000

Head to the Nashville Municipal Auditorium on Sunday, April 18 at 2 p.m. to watch the amazing Harlem Globetrotters, and make sure to bring non-perishable food items with you to receive $4 off your ticket. We appreciate the Harlem Globetrotters partnering with us to help feed hungry people in Middle Tennessee!

Nashville Scene's Iron Fork Benefits Second Harvest & Manna Food Security Partners

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 08:00:25 +0000

If you love food, you have to go to the Nashville Scene's Iron Fork presented by Whole Foods on Wednesday, April 21st! Chefs are not the only ones who will be battling in this year's competition. The entire event has taken a stand to fight hunger. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee as well as Manna Food Security Partners will be the event's beneficiaries, and five local chefs will go head-to-head in attempting to create the night's yummiest dishes. Jeremy Barlow from Tayst is competing as the reigning champ. The other contenders include: Chris Cunningham from Sunset Grill, Andy Hunter from Acorn Restaurant, Hal M. Holden-Bache from Eastland Café, and Jason McConnell from 55 South, Sol, and Red Pony Restaurant. For those who have eaten at these fabulous places, there is no doubt that the food prepared will be savory and delicious. Here's where the twist comes into play. There will be a secret ingredient that will be selected by Whole Foods. The chefs will be told the ingredient 10 minutes prior to the competition's start. Each chef will prepare two dishes, two times within an hour. One will be used to display and the other will be for the judges to sample. The top chef will not only gain bragging right, but he will receive the infamous "Gold Fork." Iron Fork takes place on April 21, 2010 at the Country Music Hall of Fame from 6 to 10 p.m. The chef's competition begins at 7 p.m. Ticket are available for $40 online as well as at the door. Purchase tickets at www.nashvillescene.com, or visit Whole Foods and Le Creuset locations at the Hill Center in Green Hills. Make sure to put in your promo code (Promo code: shfb0310) unique to Second Harvest fans. We can't wait to see you there!

Board Member Spotlight

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:00:20 +0000

[caption id="attachment_379" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Barbara Turner, Second Harvest board member, dons her Feeding Hope T-shirt while in the Food Bank's sort room."][/caption] After a six-year stint on Second Harvest's board of directors,Barbara Turner, former board president, will be rotating off the board at the end of June. Barbara said that Second Harvest has instilled a personal passion to feed hungry people and try to solve hunger issues in the community. "It has been a blessing to witness the incredibly broad support for a cause that effects so much of our Middle Tennessee community," Barbara exclaimed. "Despite the extremely difficult economic climate we have all dealt with recently, it's been rewarding to see Nashville's broad-based community focus on such basic human needs as hunger, and the assistance that Second Harvest has been able to secure from a myriad of sources to assist our neighbors in crisis." Other than the broad support that has amazed Barbara over her time on Second Harvest's board, she said she was most surprised when she learned about the size and scope of the various programs that Second Harvest operates. She commented that she knew about Second Harvest and understood the mission, but she confessed that she didn't understand the Food Bank's accomplishments using the resources available until becoming a board member. With all that Barbara has learned while involved with Second Harvest, she raved about Second Harvest's community reputation and that she was honored and practically giddy to invest her time in such a worthy cause. "I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve, in my very small way," Barbara noted. "It's a cause so much bigger than myself and one that has been a personal, family, and school focus of ours since the Turner children were young." She said she will be sure to continue the Second Harvest "Feeding Hope" talk!

Together We Grow

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:00:55 +0000

By: Josh Corlew Here at Second Harvest, we distribute food to hungry people every day. This is an important element of ending hunger in America, but it isn't the only one. In order for hunger to end, everyone needs to have consistent access to healthy food. Breaking the cycle of poverty has to involve children and making sure they get healthy food so they're able to excel in education. What better way for children to gain access to fresh and healthy foods than to teach them to garden? "Together We Grow," a new program that Second Harvest has piloted, has partnered with Tractor Supply Company in an effort to get fresh and healthy food to children as well as increase their ability to have access to it for the rest of their lives. Children will learn to grow container gardens at three different Kids Cafe sites. These children will learn how to grow fresh, healthy, and tasty produce with a five-gallon bucket, sunlight, water, and a few seeds. At the end of the season, each child will be able to take home a bucket, so they can start their very own garden at home next year with their new skills! Here are just a few of the many vegetables & foods that we'll be growing this summer and fall: tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflower (seeds), kale, chard, mustard greens, collard greens, lettuce, cilantro, basil, carrots, and broccoli.

Generous Helpings

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:12:54 +0000

Second Harvest is proud to once again present Generous Helpings, one of Nashville's favorite food and wine tasting events. Join in an evening featuring Nashville's best independent restaurants, while supporting Middle Tennessee's Table, Middle Tennessee's prepared and perishable food rescue program. The evening will feature tasting-size portions of signature appetizers, entrees, and desserts accompanied by fine wines and beers from participating beverage distributors. This year we will join the Nashville Farmer's Market in bringing together local farmers and local restaurants for an amazing event. Generous Helpings will take place Thursday, may 20, 2010 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Nashville Farmers' Market. Click here to purchase tickets.

First Harvest Café: Tennessee River Marina Buffet

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:00:01 +0000

Tennessee River Marina Buffet Cole Slaw with Homemade Dressing Fried Catfish Macaroni and Cheese Sautéed Zucchini BBQ Chicken Johnny Cakes Pecan Bars For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need. Check out our website for upcoming menus or other SHFB of Mid-TN events: www.secondharvestnashville.org

Together We Grow Kick Off

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:48:49 +0000

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee Teaches Children to Garden with the Help of Tractor Supply Company The “Together We Grow” program kicks off at the Rutherford County Boys and Girls Club on April 27th from 5 to 6 p.m. With five-gallon buckets, a few seeds, a little sunlight and water, Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee is piloting a children’s gardening program called “Together We Grow.” The new program will start at three Kids Cafe locations—two in Davidson County and one in Rutherford County. “Together We Grow” will kick off at the Rutherford County Boys and Girls Club on Tuesday, April 27 from 5 to 6 p.m. with representatives from the Food Bank, the Boys and Girls Club, and Tractor Supply Company, the program’s presenting sponsor. “Second Harvest is excited to implement this new program,” said Matthew Bourlakas, Chief Operating Officer. “This program will not only help provide nutritious meals, but it will also empower children to grow their own food throughout life and understand the importance of consuming healthy fruits and vegetables.” With materials generously provided by Tractor Supply Company, children will learn how to grow fresh produce, and they will choose to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflower (seeds), kale, chard, mustard greens, collard greens, lettuce, cilantro, basil, carrots, or broccoli in their buckets. These crops will be grown throughout the summer and fall. The Kids Cafe students will also receive interactive nutrition classes that will provide an opportunity for them to try new foods and learn the health benefits of incorporating vegetables into their diets. At the end of the growing season, each child will take home a bucket with the skills to start their own garden next year. Josh Corlew, the program’s garden specialist, said that the participating children will see how food grows from the ground rather than just appearing at a grocery store. “Hopefully, this connection will instill a greater respect for the earth and inspire more environmentally conscious decisions in their future,” Josh said. “Currently, one in five children in Tennessee are at risk for hunger,” Bourlakas noted. “Children’s feeding programs such as ‘Together We Grow’ and Kids Café are critical to ensure that kids have access to proper nutrition, which is important to their young minds and bodies’ development.” Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee feeds hungry people and works to solve hunger issues in the communities it serves. The Food Bank, which is part of the Feeding America network, distributes food and other products to approximately 400 community food partner agencies in 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee. Partners include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, child care facilities, senior centers and youth enrichment programs. For more information about how you can fight hunger and feed hope in your community, visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org.

We Need You

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:33:30 +0000

If your company is looking for a great team building exercise or if you and your friends want to lend a hand, come to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and volunteer. We desperately need volunteers next week, May 3rd-7th to help sort food, pack backpacks, and assemble Disaster Relief boxes. Second Harvest needs individual volunteers every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. There is no sign up necessary for these morning shifts. If you, your friends, or business is interested in doing some community service, please e-mail volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org to schedule your volunteer shift.

Run For Their Lives

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:00:39 +0000

If you won't run for your life, maybe you will run for someone else's. The Green Hills Rotary is sponsoring a 5K run on Saturday, May 15, 2010 with registration beginning at 6:30 a.m.. With this being the organization's third annual Saturday in May event, Chad Polk, the club's president-elect, said that the group hoped to raise awareness for not only the Green Hills Rotary but also the charities in which the run benefits. Since the Green Hills Rotary sponsors a Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee BackPack program in one of the Davidson County schools, this Children's Feeding Program is one of the Run For Their Lives' beneficiary. Some of the other charitable organizations include: Share Your Life, Green Hills YMCA, Polio+, and Green Hills Rotary Charities. "We want this to be a whole community event," Chad noted. "We hope families will come out to listen to the live music." For those who are not interested in running a 5K but would like to be involved, there will be a 2K walk as well beginning at 8 a.m. To register and get more details about the event, please visit www.rotaryrunfortheirlives.org or www.active.com.

First Harvest Café: Cajun Salute

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:00:20 +0000

Cajun Salute Macedoine Salad Chicken Etouffeè Shrimp, Okra and Andouille Smoked Sausage Gumbo Rice Green Beans Almondè Bourbon Street Bread Pudding For $12 per person (tax included,) you receive a great lunch. and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Food Drive at Goo Goo Dolls Concert

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:14:26 +0000

SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK RELOCATES INVENTORY FROM METRO CENTER

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 03 May 2010 20:22:50 +0000

After assessment of the Cumberland River and the flooding situation in Metro Center, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is undergoing efforts to relocate perishable and non-perishable food from The Martin Distribution Center located at 331 Great Circle Road in Metro Center. The facility does not currently have electricity therefore it is critical that the perishable food is relocated. Should the levee become breached, the facility will not be accessible therefore limiting Second Harvest’s disaster relief and emergency food assistance efforts. Persons with disaster-caused needs are encouraged to call the Red Cross at (615) 250-4250 to find an emergency shelter and talk about assistance that might be available. We have contacted many of our Emergency Food Box and Community Food Partner sites to ensure that their needs continue to be met and have prepared more than 1000 disaster relief boxes that we hope to begin distributing once we have relocated our inventory. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is in need of financial support to provide relief to victims of local disaster flooding. All disaster assistance is free and accessible to anyone who has been affected by flooding. Please visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org and click DONATE NOW to make an online gift, mail your check to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee at 331 Great Circle Road, Nashville, TN 37228 or call (615) 329 – 3491 to make a donation by phone. In addition, food donations are needed to supplement the Emergency Food Box and Community Food Partner sites as they see an increased number of individuals and families needing assistance. Most needed items include peanut butter, cereal, crackers, canned meat, vegetables, fruit and soup. Donations can be dropped off at Kroger stores throughout Middle and West Tennessee. For more information, visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org.

Emergency Food Box Site Openings

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:51:22 +0000

With so many people in disarray, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee will be opening several Emergency Food Box (EFB) locations in Davidson County, and the city of Nashville is opening two disaster information centers. One of the disaster information centers is located at Bellevue Baptist Church at 7400 Hwy 70 South and the other is located at Coleman Community Center at 384 Thompson Lane. There will be limited disaster relief boxes with non-perishable food, toilet paper, and paper towels at these two locations. Food should begin arriving about 10 a.m. at the disaster relief sites as well as the Emergency Food Box locations. Most of the listed EFB locations will be open today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will be stocked with the same disaster relief boxes that are at the disaster information centers. There may be a few EFB sites that have differing hours. The Emergency Food Box locations are at the following: 1. Martha O'Bryan Center address: 711 South 7th Street 2. Napier Community Center address: 73 Fairfield Ave. 3. Hamilton United Methodist Church address: 3105 Hamilton Church Rd. 4. Goodlettsville Help Center address: 108 Depot St. 5. Una Church of Christ address: 1917 Murfreesboro Road 6. St. Phillips Episcopal Church address: 85 Fairway Dr. 7. Salvation Army Magness Potter Ctr. address: 611 Stockell St. 8. St. Luke's Community House address: 5601 New York Ave. Please contact Hands on Nashville if your are interested in flood-relief volunteering, and we also want to thank everyone at Hands on Nashville for all their help in recruiting volunteers for the Food Bank as well as in Nashville.

SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK NEEDS COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:29:54 +0000

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is in great need of food donations in the wake of the devastating flood that has displaced hundreds of families across Middle Tennessee. Communities in effected areas are urged to give to one of three large food and funds drives taking place this Saturday – Stamp Out Hunger, “Rock n Ride” and Tennessee Renaissance Festival. “Now more than ever, not only are we serving those who are hungry everyday, but these food drives will help those who have been affected by this disaster,” Matthew Bourlakas, Chief Operating Officer of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee said. “We are hoping for a great turnout from these events in order to help those in our community.” Saturday, May 8, Kroger will join forces with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and Campbell Soup Company to hold Stamp Out Hunger, the nation’s largest single-day food drive. To help Stamp Out Hunger this year, simply leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods next to your mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 8. Letter carriers will then collect the donations as they deliver the mail and take them to Second Harvest and other hunger relief organizations throughout Middle Tennessee. This Saturday, Bakersongs.com will also be hosting a food drive at Nashville’s first annual “Rock N Ride” biker event to benefit Second Harvest’s Kids Cafe program. The event will take place at Limelight on Woodland St. from noon to 8 p.m. With an admission of $12, the crowd will enjoy live music with vendors, raffles and a custom motorcycle show. Visit www.bakersongs.com for more information about “Rock N Ride.” The third large food drive will be held at The Tennessee Renaissance Festival Saturday, May 8, and Sunday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Non-perishable food items should be brought to the Second Harvest Food truck that will be located next to the gate. The most needed food items for this weekend’s foods drives include: canned meat, peanut butter and canned fruit. Second Harvest is also in need of financial support to provide relief to victims of local disaster flooding. Visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org and click DONATE NOW to make an online gift. As a member of the Feeding America network – the nation’s largest hunger relief organization – Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee provides disaster relief to communities throughout the country by distributing prepared meals and pre-packed disaster boxes that contain essential items for individuals and families that have been displaced. Prepared meals are manufactured by Second Harvest Food Bank and then distributed to shelters identified by the Office of Emergency Management, Salvation Army and the American Red Cross.

Leave Non-Perishables By Your Mailbox Saturday, May 8

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:04:11 +0000

Get your canned goods ready for the largest single-day food drive in the nation on May 8, 2010. Your local Kroger is teaming up with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) to Stamp Out Hunger! Place a sturdy bag containing non-perishable food beside your mailbox before your mail is delivered on Saturday, May 8th. Your mail carriers will deliver these items to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee or a food pantry in your area. The food bank needs your support more than ever with disaster relief efforts. We want to thank the community for all it has done and continues to do.

The Community Joins Together to Donate to Food Drives

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:24:54 +0000

[caption id="attachment_447" align="alignleft" width="350" caption="The Infield Donation Point at the Iroquois Steeplechase."][/caption] The response in the Middle Tennessee community to the flood disaster has been phenomenal, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee employees are proud to be of service to this area. With several entertainment events this past weekend, there were six food drives. The Letter Carriers' Food Drive, which is the largest single-day food drive in the nation, teamed with Kroger, and it did not disappoint. Second Harvest received 127,722 pounds of food in Davidson County from that one food drive . We have not confirmed the total poundage from the postal service for Second Harvest's 46-county service area at this time. See the five other events that took place over the weekend with the food drive results listed below: The Tennessee Renaissance Festival raised 1,625 pounds. A soccer tournament at Crockett Park raised 2,707 pounds. The Tennessee Association of Craft Artists raised 930 pounds at their event in Centennial Park. "Rock n Ride," Nashville's first biker event, raised 890 pounds at Limelight. The Iroquois Steeplechase raised 1,964 pounds of food. Those here at Second Harvest could not be happier with the turnout and the response from this community, especially with these food drive donations. We would like to thank all those who participated, and feel free to host your own food drive by contacting Heidi Tieslau, Second Harvest's food and funds manager, at 615-627-1581 or heidi.tieslau@secondharvestmidtn.org.

Detroitian Travels to Volunteer at Second Harvest

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 11 May 2010 22:27:03 +0000

Volunteers have traveled from all over to assist in disaster relief. Meet Mike from Detroit as he volunteered his time at Second Harvest through Hands on Nashville and has been working double to triple volunteer shifts in order to help. His diligence and generosity are much appreciated. Watch and see why he chose to drive all the way from Michigan to help.

Sing for Their Supper to Benefit Second Harvest's Children's Feeding Programs

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 12 May 2010 08:00:49 +0000

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee will be lifting spirits and raising funds for their Children’s Feeding Programs as they host a concert at the Loveless Barn on Thursday, May 13 at 7 p.m. The Loveless Café will be providing a delicious dinner buffet, and musical guests include The Time Jumpers, Suzy Bogguss and Billy Dean. Kenny Sears, one of The Time Jumpers’ fiddle players, said he was excited about performing at the Loveless Barn for the first time, especially for such a worthy cause. Terry Choate, the band’s manager, noted that since the Time Jumpers were a local group, everyone was on board for supporting the fight against hunger within the community. Sears said that performing at the concert would be a win for everyone since the audience and band will have blast, and they will all be raising funds for those in need. Second Harvest Food Bank’s Children’s Feeding Programs include Kids Cafe and the BackPack program. Kids Cafe provides free meals and snacks to low-income children through several community locations where children congregate, such as schools and after-school programs. During the summer months, agency partners provide breakfast and hot meals to those children in need. Breakfast and evening meals have been provided to over 3,000 children in participating agencies this year so far. Second Harvest’s BackPack program helps meet the needs of hungry children by providing nutritious and easy-to-prepare food at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations. Over 100,000 BackPacks have been distributed to more than 5,000 children during this school year. “Hunger doesn’t take a vacation,” noted Jaynee Day, Second Harvest president and CEO. “Those children we help during the school year will need a place to get their meals in the summer as well, and many children were victims of the flooding in Middle Tennessee. The funds raised from this event will be able to help those children and others who have been displaced by the flood.” While there will be plenty of entertainment going around, Choate and Sears said the audience is sure to be surprised. Sears prides his band’s music as being timeless. He said folks will be hearing a lot of country shuffle and Western swing, and those in the audience will be graced with the presence of their newest Time Jumper—Vince Gill. Sears exclaimed that ticket holders might even hear a new song that Gill has been writing, which has become one of Sears’ favorite songs to play. While the talented artists know how to entertain, they also know how to give back, and those at Second Harvest are thrilled to have The Time Jumpers, Suzy Bogguss and Billy Dean perform to help with the Children’s Feeding Programs. Come out and join Second Harvest as these musicians “Sing for Their Supper.”

Last Day to Purchase Sing for Their Supper Tickets

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:22:26 +0000

It's not too late to buy your Sing for Their Supper tickets for tonight's concert benefiting Second Harvest's Children's Feeding Programs. The Time Jumpers with their newest band member, Vince Gill, will be performing as will Suzy Bogguss and Billy Dean. The concert will be at the Loveless Barn on Highway 100 at 7 p.m. The legendary Loveless Café will be providing a dinner buffet for all concert-goers. Tickets are available at the door for $30 and a VIP table for 10 can be purchased for $500. We hope to see you there!

First Harvest Café: American Road House

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 14 May 2010 08:00:15 +0000

American Road House Toss Fresh Greens with Homemade Ranch Dressing Buttermilk Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese Mark’s Old Fashion Homemade Meatloaf in Garvey Home Style Rolls Fresh Tennessee Strawberries on Genoise Cake For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

They Sang for Their Supper

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:29:42 +0000

"Eat your heart out LeAnn Rimes," Suzy Bogguss joked as she finished her last song on stage at the Loveless Barn during Sing for Their Supper benefiting Second Harvest's Children's Feeding Programs. Suzy wasn't the only entertainment of the night. Billy Dean performed a few numbers and even sang a duet with his daughter, Hannah. The band that got the audience on their feet and on the dance floor was The Time Jumpers. With a slew of talented musicians that are no strangers to the music industry, these artists were an absolute delight. Kathy and Tommy Tompkins must have agreed as they danced to tunes like "South of the Border." One of their newest band members is the man that knows every song, Vince Gill. He, of course, worked his magic on his guitar, and he did it in style wearing an electric Hawaiian print button-up shirt. While everyone knows that Vince is an amazing musician, Ranger Doug might have stolen the show with his yodeling skills. Suzy Bogguss was asked to come help him out on stage during this number, and he literally got a bow of praise from Suzy when she couldn't keep up with him. The fiddle players were in perfect synchronization as they glided their bows across the strings, and the accordion had a solo during the band's final number. Every single instrument had a time to shine during the concert, and Suzy and Billy had the chance to be a Time Jumper for a night. Even though Suzy couldn't keep up with Ranger Doug, she sang a beautiful rendition of Patsy Montana's "Cowboy's Sweetheart," and Billy performed a mean version of Hank William, Jr.'s "Your Cheatin' Heart." Sing for Their Supper was a intimate night with Music City's best.

Be a Second Harvest Volunteer Leader

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 18 May 2010 08:00:38 +0000

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is pleased to invite you to participate in our Volunteer Leaders Program. If you are 16 or older and are interested in learning leadership skills while making a difference in your community. Please attend our Volunteer Leader Program Orientation on Saturday, May 22 at 11:00 a.m. at the Food Bank. Lunch will be provided. This program will train volunteers to lead projects in food sorting, packing BackPacks, and participating in special events, agency relations and marketing functions as a lead volunteer. Information about all departments' leadership opportunities will be available, and you will be able to choose which areas interest you the most. To RSVP, please e-mail Caroline.Foley@secondharvestmidtn.org. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer leader but can not attend the orientation, please e-mail Caroline.Foley@secondharvestmidtn.org.

31 Counties in Second Harvest's 46-County Service Area Declared Disaster Areas

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 19 May 2010 08:00:21 +0000

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, along with other area relief agencies, has been hard at work to meet the needs of our community throughout the crisis from the recent floods. The widespread damage caused by the flooding throughout Tennessee resulted in 31 of the 46 counties in our service area to be classified as federal disaster areas. The flooding throughout Tennessee has affected our communities both personally and professionally, with many losing homes and belongings along with their jobs, businesses and income. The support of our local community has been amazing, as many have contributed to help their neighbors get back on their feet. In the midst of significant losses, there have been corporations and donors who have given as they consider the families that have been displaced and are in need of food assistance. Since the flooding occurred, we have distributed over 200,000 pounds of food and that number is increasing daily. At Second Harvest, we remain focused on doing what we do best: getting food, water and basic necessities to hungry people. This means keeping our warehouse stocked, working with our partner agencies and distributing food and supplies for the ongoing needs of victims in our community. Your support is more vital than ever as we fulfill our mission to feed our neighbors in need throughout the long-term recovery and rebuilding process. We need your help! Please consider supporting Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in the coming months as the need for food assistance will remain long after the waters have receded. Click here to donate today and join the fight against hunger in Middle Tennessee!

Generous Helpings

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 19 May 2010 16:00:25 +0000

Tickets are available through the website until 8 a.m. on Thursday, May 20. After this time, tickets will be available at the door for $50. Thank you for supporting Second Harvest Food Bank. Middle Tennessee's Table is proud to once again present Generous Helpings, one of Nashville's favorite food and wine tasting events. Join in an evening featuring Nashville's best independent restaurants, while supporting Middle Tennessee's Table, Middle Tennessee's prepared and perishable food rescue program. The evening will feature tasting-size portions of signature appetizers, entrees, and desserts accompanied by fine wines and beers from participating beverage distributors. This year we will join the Nashville Farmer's Market in bringing together local farmers and local restaurants for an amazing event. Generous Helpings will take place Thursday, may 20, 2010 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Nashville Farmers' Market. Click here to purchase tickets.

Here's a list of participating restaurants:

Bongo Java/ FIDO

CABANA

Café Nonna

Chaffin's Barn

Chappy's on Church

City House

Eastland Café

F. Scott's

Holland House

Kroger Chef Shoppes

Linae Co. Chocolates

Mad Platter

Marche Artisan Foods

Midtown Café

Miel

Miro District

Monell's

Nashville State CC

Noshville (GH, CS & WE)

Park Café

Pied Piper Creamery

Pied Piper Eatery

Provence Breads & Café

Red Pony

rumba rum bar & satay grill

Second Harvest Food Bank Culinary Arts Center

Sol on Main

Sunset Grill

Sweet 16^th Bakery

Tayst

The Bloomy Rind

The Local Taco

Tin Angel

Watermark

First Harvest Café: Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 21 May 2010 08:00:44 +0000

Art Institute Holds Pasta Luncheon for Flood Relief

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:00:55 +0000

Local Restaurants Give Generous Helpings

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:40:57 +0000

With bites of this and nibbles of that, this year's Generous Helpings at the Nashville Farmer's Market was better than ever. No one cared that it rained, especially when a double rainbow appeared in the sky. Party-goers and even the bartenders were groovin' to Patton James' rendition of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl." The spirit of the evening was genuine and uplifting. Yummy staples like Watermark's shrimp and grits and Pied Piper's mini barbecue chicken sandwiches were among some of the favorites, but let's not forget about those unique treats. Tayst's Jeremy Barlow prepared lamb nachos and Local Taco fixed Ahi Tuna with wasabi aioli. Chef Mark Rubin of Second Harvest's Culinary Arts Center prepared delicious pork belly bites with chow chow. While there were so many items that were scrumptious, those sinful desserts cannot be forgotten. The featured sweets were the kind that make you promise yourself that you'll do 30 minutes of cardio for just one bite. Marché Artisan Food whipped up strawberries and mascarpone on wheat bread with balsamic reduction, and Linae Co. Chocolates had the best chocolate truffles. Needless to say, Generous Helpings was a great success with good eats, drinks, and great people!

Volunteer Leadership Program Kicked Off

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:41:36 +0000

[caption id="attachment_506" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Veteran volunteer, Mike Berger, spoke about how to lead an effective volunteer shift and volunteer shared best practices."][/caption] Second Harvest is pleased to introduce Volunteer Leaders Program! If you are 16 or older, and are interested in learning leadership skills while making a difference in your community, email Caroline Foley in order to sign up for our volunteer leaders program. The first orientation for this new program was held on Saturday, May 22nd, and 11 volunteers participated in the leadership orientation. "All those who attended were eager to find out how they can become active with Second Harvest," noted Caroline Foley, the Food Bank's volunteer coordinator. "The group was interested in various aspects of the Food Bank, and they had great ideas that will be put into motion in the future of the Volunteer Leaders' Program." Many of them were interested in leading marketing projects, sorting food, food drives, and special events. Participants were and will continue to be trained on leadership skills and food bank knowledge, and these individuals have decided to become ambassadors for the Food Bank in our community. "Volunteer leaders will help us expand our capacity as well as learn valuable skills," Volunteer Services Manager Meghan Markie,said. "They will be given the opportunity to lead other volunteers and speak to groups." and Second Harvest in our mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community.

Staff Profile: Carol Miller, Second Harvest's Vice-President of Strategic Partnerships

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:56:07 +0000

Veteran, Second Harvest employee, Carol Miller, shares her experience of her time here at the Food Bank.

Ode to Otha

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 27 May 2010 08:00:27 +0000

Get ready for the annual Ode to Otha event, aka Bill Ramsey's birthday celebration on June 5th on Sweetbriar Ave.! Each year this Nashvillian honors Otha Turner and his music during his birthday bash. This year is no different as $30 donations will be taken at the door with all the party's proceeds benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Parents will be happy to know that children are invited, and if your child is under the age of 14, they get in free. Those who attend will enjoy music from Nashville Academy of Rock, Bashful Mountain Broadcaster, Smoking Flowers, Stacy Mitchart, Blue Mother Tupelo, Kentucky Thunder, Sharde Thomas and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band, and more special guests. Don't miss out on this fun-filled event! Event Details: June 5, 2010 2 to 9 p.m. 1711 Sweetbriar Avenue Nashville, Tennessee

First Harvest Café: French Cruise

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 28 May 2010 08:00:50 +0000

French Cruise Spinach Salad Tossed with Purple Onions and Bacon (or Pinenuts) Ratatouille Oven Roasted Rosemary Potato Salad Provencal Thyme Infused Oven Roasted Chicken Breast served Picnic Style Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin Panna Cotta with Fresh Tennessee Ridge Top Strawberries and Balsamic Glaze For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Disaster Relief Update

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 31 May 2010 08:00:14 +0000

The month of May has taken a toll on Middle Tennesseans with flood waters devastating many communities. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has been on the frontline assisting those who have been affected distributing food, water, and cleaning supplies to individuals and agencies in the area. The Food Bank, which is located in Metro Center, was handicapped for a few days after the flood due to high water and debris in the facility's loading dock. Two tractor-trailers were compromised after water was sucked into the trucks' radiator. Metro government allowed a skeleton crew of Second Harvest employees to rescue food from the Food Bank on Monday, May 3, while the levee's structure was in jeopardy. Nashville city officials warned Second Harvest about the risks involved with entering the Metro Center area, and even with the knowledge of the severity of the situation, Second Harvest employees chose to take the risk in order to have the ability to assist those who needed help. Despite the hardship, the Second Harvest team was able to transport 130 pallets, which is about 7 truckloads, of Disaster Relief boxes to a warehouse near the Nashville airport. Second Harvest was able to resume full-force operations on May 7, and as of May 28, Second Harvest has distributed more than 500,000 pounds of food, which means close to 400,000 meals have been supplied to those in the organization's 46-county service area in Middle and West Tennessee. The Food Bank will continue to help with flood relief as well as follow our mission of feeding hungry people and striving to solve hunger issues in the community. More than anything, Second Harvest would like to commend and express gratitude to the entire community for pulling together and helping their neighbors during this time of crisis.

New Intern Experiences Second Harvest's Mission Firsthand

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:00:07 +0000

[caption id="attachment_527" align="alignright" width="191" caption="Allison Black"][/caption] HI! I’m Allison, and I am the summer intern for Second Harvest’s Marketing Department. On Wednesday, May 19, I got the privilege of joining one of Second Harvest’s Agency Relations Managers, Jervon Dailey, and Heidi Tieslau, the food and funds drive manager, on a trip out to Overton County, Tenn. to see what Second Harvest really does. On my second day at Second Harvest, I was lucky to enough to get to see the people that benefit from the work that I’ll be doing. We drove the two hours to Monterrey, a small town outside of Cookeville, and stopped at our first visit—a food pantry run by Ms. Pat. Jervon, who serves as Second Harvest’s Overton County liaison. We inspected the pantry, but mostly proved that her most important job is to help the sites succeed. We talked with Ms. Pat and heard about the day-to-day trials and successes she’s been having. One outreach she has made is to a man the town has nicknamed “Bimbo.” She has provided him with food to eat, and helps him regulate his prescriptions. In hearing her stories, it was very apparent how much she loved to help others. She was a true gem and was more interested in taking care of others than herself. We left the pantry after about 45 minutes and headed over to the Mill Springs Baptist Church. There, we found a large group of people working together to make meals for their Meals-on-Wheels program. After looking for Mr. Sydney, we found him in his comfort zone—at the stove. He and others had been cooking since 7 a.m., and they were filling boxes and cups for 110 people. After everyone finished filling boxes, we joined Mr. Sydney as he dropped off lunches. He had 14 houses on his list, each of which was occupied by an elderly person who otherwise may not have eaten. It was so exciting for me to get to see the people who I will be indirectly helping throughout the summer. The trip was very helpful in understanding the mission of Second Harvest and the hunger that is in our own backyard.

Growing Gardens

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 08:00:31 +0000

A month has passed since the children planted their first seeds in the container gardens of our new "Together We Grow" program. Children at three of our Kids Cafe sites have the opportunity to get their hands in the dirt this summer and learn how to grow their own food. With the knowledge of how to live sustainable lives, we here at Second Harvest are hoping the children will have a greater appreciation for healthy eating as a result of this experience. After weeks of daily watering since the program’s start, the children are beginning to see the “veggies” of their labor as green plants are starting to emerge from the soil. Weekly gardening classes are held at each site, which cover a variety of topics. Thus far, they have learned about the importance of watering, the different parts of the plants, the benefits of composting, and the role nitrogen plays in the plant’s growth. In the first nutrition class of the program, we discussed the importance of Vitamin K in the diet, and the children had the opportunity to try kale, which was a first for many of them. Hopefully within the next few weeks, the children will be able to pick the first produce from their garden and will be able take some vegetables home to share with their families. The program is off to a wonderful start, and we look forward to sharing more with you in the future. By Rebekah Jacques, Nutrition Manager

Second Harvest Nights at the Nashville Sounds Games

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:03:21 +0000

Ode to Otha Block Party This Saturday

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 08:00:31 +0000

Don't forget about Ode to Otha this Saturday, June 5, benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank on Sweetbriar Ave. in Nashville. Ode to Otha is an annual event to celebrate Bill Ramsey's birthday. This party has an ideal atmosphere to enjoy the company of friends and family. With this event honoring Mississippi-native, fife playing Otha Turner and his music, it's bound to be a good time! There will be $30 donations taken at the door that will help raise money for Second Harvest, and children under the age of 14 get in free. Party-goers will enjoy music from Nashville Academy of Rock, Bashful Mountain Broadcaster, Smoking Flowers, Stacy Mitchart, Blue Mother Tupelo, Kentucky Thunder, Sharde Thomas and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band, and more special guests. Don’t miss out on this fun-filled event! Event Details: June 5, 2010 2 to 9 p.m. 1711 Sweetbriar Avenue Nashville, Tennessee

Race Fest for Flood Relief

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:57:11 +0000

"Race Fest for Flood Relief" at Nashville Superspeedway on June 5 to include NASCAR Nationwide Series driver autograph session and special auction LEBANON, Tenn. - Fans coming to Nashville Superspeedway on June 5, 2010 for the "Federated Auto Parts 300" NASCAR Nationwide Series race will be able to attend the "Race Fest for Flood Relief." This event is an exclusive autograph session and auction featuring a large number of series regulars while directly helping those in need as a result of the recent Nashville area floods. A NASCAR Nationwide Series driver autograph session is scheduled from 1-2 p.m. on Saturday, June 5 at the Nationwide Insurance display in the Expo area located outside of Gate 3 at the Superspeedway. Fans attending the autograph session will be asked to make a canned food or monetary donation at the track to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in order to receive admission to the autograph session. A limited number of wristbands will be issued in advance of the autograph session beginning at 11 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Race fans will also have the opportunity at the autograph session to bid on several autographed NASCAR items during a silent auction to be held at the Nationwide Insurance display. All proceeds from the auction will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. Fans can browse the items up for auction by visiting NashvilleSuperspeedway.com and clicking the "Race Fest for Flood Relief" icon. Fans unable to attend the Race Fest for Flood Relief can still support the Second Harvest Food Bank by dropping canned goods in collection bins located at the entrance gates to the main grandstands. The NASCAR Nationwide Series returns to Nashville Superspeedway on June 4-5, 2010, followed by the return of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Aug. 7, 2010. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 1-866-RACE-TIX or visit NashvilleSuperspeedway.com. Media contacts Joe Heller Public Relations Dept. Nashville Superspeedway (302) 883-6561 jheller@dovermotorsports.com Rachel Dean RLD Marketing (615) 567-6530 rldmarketing3@gmail.com # # # Nashville Superspeedway is owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD), a leading promoter of motorsports events in the United States. DVD subsidiaries operate three tracks in three states, and present several hundred motorsports events each year. This includes 14 major, national events which include races sanctioned by NASCAR and the NHRA. Dover Motorsports, Inc. also owns and operates Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del., and Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, Mo. For further information log on to www.DoverMotorsports.com.

First Harvest Café: Cuban Excursion

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:00:55 +0000

Cuban Excursion Cuban Bread Salad Black Bean and Rice Fricasse de Pollo (Chicken Fricassee) Cuban Chinese Roast Loin of Pork Spanish Flan For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Janet Ayers Donates Her Time in Decatur County

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:00:14 +0000

Janet Ayers, a prominent philanthropist, takes her charitable endeavors to Decatur County. Janet's husband, Jim Ayers is a Parsons, Tenn. native, and she volunteers alongside with fellow church members to pass out food to those who need assistance.

Helping Hands of Hickman County

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 08:00:31 +0000

[caption id="attachment_550" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Duck River goes over the four-lane Edwin Hickman Bridge. Photo by KIRSTEN POWERS "][/caption] Flood waters devastated many areas in Hickman County as they did in many other Middle Tennessee communities. Helping Hands of Hickman County has been a major player in giving flood assistance to victims. Terry Work, Helping Hands’ director and founder, said the organization has given supplies to over 700 families in the county. “We’re going to see the need now more than ever with Red Cross and FEMA pulling out,” Work said. “It’s going to take families at least six to 12 months to get back on their feet. They will never have what they use to have, but we have to help them try to move on with their lives.” Work noted that there were 24 roads in Hickman County that were still washed out. Many people were either unemployed before the flood, or the flood caused them to lose work. While Helping Hands of Hickman County is located in the eastern part of the county, David Cloniger, one of Second Harvest’s agency relations managers, complimented the way the organization has made sure the entire county is served. “Helping Hands works with several churches and civic organizations to make sure they are helping those in need throughout their community,” Cloniger said. Shirley Scott, Helping Hands’ bookkeeper, said that many people receiving assistance have been thankful as well as emotional. “They come in here crying, and their stories make me cry,” Scott stated. “People are beginning to move into tents, barns, and campers. They’re trying to start over the best way they know how.” With Red Cross and FEMA leaving Hickman County, Work felt that Helping Hands would be the community’s go-to agency for assistance. Work said she plans to have a mobile food pantry once a month, and she has been thankful for Second Harvest’s quick response and support. Helping Hands has tried to place mobile food pantries in three areas of the county in order to meet the needs of its community. “A lot of people were hurting trying to make ends meet before the flood, and it’s even worse now,” Work noted. “I don’t know what families are going to do, and I really worry about it.”

SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE TO RECEIVE 150,000 SERVINGS OF PROTEIN FROM SMITHFIELD AND $40,000 FROM CMT

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 08:00:25 +0000

[caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="298" caption="Paula Deen"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_558" align="alignright" width="243" caption="Trisha Yearwood"][/caption] Paula Deen and Trisha Yearwood to present food and fund donations Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee will be receiving two extraordinary donations from two different organizations on today. Smithfield, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and Food Networks’ celebrity chef, Paula Deen will be delivering 150,000 servings of protein to Second Harvest’s Martin Distribution Center during their “Feeding the Hungry” tour. On top of that, Country Music Television will be donating $40,000 to Second Harvest’s BackPack program through CMT ONE COUNTRY, and country-music superstar Trisha Yearwood will be at the Food Bank on June 10, to present CMT’s donation. “Our local community is hurting, and these two donations are coming during a time of great need,” said Jaynee Day, Second Harvest president and CEO. “Smithfield’s donation of protein as well as CMT ONE COUNTRY’s $40,000 donation to our BackPack program is much appreciatedand will be distributed throughout our 46-county service area.” Kroger, a strong, dedicated supporter of Second Harvest Food Bank, will also be participating in Thursday’s event. Kroger has donated three truckloads of food and $50,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee to help in flood relief efforts. “Kroger has partnered with Second Harvest for over 30 years,” said Melissa Eads, Kroger’s community relations manager. “We believe in Second Harvest’s mission, and we’re always glad when we can collaborate with our vendor partners, such as Smithfield, to provide additional food and funds.” CMT ONE COUNTRY will present their monetary donation as well as backpacks that are signed by celebrities from the CMT AWARDS. Trisha Yearwood and Paula Deen are both presenting at the CMT AWARDS, and their established friendship makes these two donations from CMT and Smithfield complement one another. The 150,000 servings of protein provided by Smithfield will be distributed among Second Harvest’s 46-county service area in Middle and West Tennessee to help those who need food assistance. The $40,000 that will be given on behalf of CMT ONE COUNTRY will be used for Second Harvest’s BackPack program in these same 46 counties. Second Harvest’s BackPack program helps meet the needs of hungry children by providing nutritious and easy-to-prepare food when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations. Second Harvest BackPack programs are located at schools and after-school programs, where children are in need. Please visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org for more information about Second Harvest programs and involvement.

First Harvest Café: Tuscan Holiday

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:00:16 +0000

Tuscan Holiday Italian Toss Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette Angel Hair Pasta w/ Swiss Chard, Golden Raisins, and Pine nuts Ziti with Broccoli and Sundried Tomato Fettuccini with Artichokes Chicken Piccata (A light lemon sauce) Homemade Tiramisu For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Paula Deen and Trisha Yearwood Make Food and Fund Donations

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:00:23 +0000

Paula Deen presents a donation of 150,000 servings of protein on behalf of Smithfield Food, Inc., and Trisha Yearwood presents $40,000 to Second Harvest's BackPack program on behalf of CMT ONE COUNTRY.

Team Carrie Helps Change the World

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:00:05 +0000

Carrie Underwood's Fan Club volunteered in Second Harvest's warehouse sort room. See how they're practicing what Carrie sings in her new song "Change."

Sponsor a Mobile Pantry

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:00:56 +0000

[caption id="attachment_577" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Wilson County Mobile Pantry"][/caption] The face of hunger has become more familiar in the past few years, as our national and local economies have faced some of the toughest times in a generation. Last year, it was reported that 99% of food banks nationwide experienced unprecedented increases in demand for emergency food assistance. In Middle Tennessee, we have seen a 33% increase in demand for first-time food assistance over the last five years. The Mobile Pantry Program is the most effective way to reach the hardest hit communities, delivering boxes of perishable and non-perishable food directly to those in need. On average, 250 to 300 families can be served by a mobile pantry, which provides frozen meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, canned goods, milk, potatoes, and many other essential items to our hungry neighbors. While most local agencies do not have the facilities to store large quantities of food, one mobile pantry can instantly distribute over 15,000 pounds of food to communities in desperate need. Will you help us reach the last mile and get food to the people who need it most? You can provide a one-week supply of food for a family of four with a $10 donation, or consider sponsoring an entire mobile pantry for a community with a donation of $2500. Every donation can make a difference in the lives of hungry men, women and children in Middle Tennessee. Help bridge the gap for so many Tennesseans who are in need. Visit us online at our website to find out more about Second Harvest, and if you would like to give towards the Mobile Pantry Program, click the link to Donate Now and designate your gift to Mobile Pantry.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 08:00:20 +0000

If you're looking for something to do tonight, head down to the Sounds stadium for the 6:05 p.m. game as the Nashville Sounds play the Memphis Redbirds. Make sure to take non-perishable goods to the ballpark, and drop them off at the Second Harvest donation tent. If you would like to start your own food drive, contact heidi.tieslau@secondharvestmidtn.org.

First Harvest Café: American Roadhouse

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:00:15 +0000

American Road House Toss Fresh Greens with Homemade Ranch Dressing Buttermilk Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese Chili Con Carne With shredded cheese, chopped onions, and sour cream Home Style Rolls Pecan bars For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Family Night

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:00:08 +0000

written by: Bonnie, family night volunteer No one can forget the devastating floods that affected Middle Tennessee. The tragedy inspired me to volunteer and help out anyway I could. I volunteered for a shift at the Second Harvest Food Bank making Disaster Relief Boxes the first Friday after the flood. The experience of helping so many people who had lost everything was so emotional that I wanted to share this with my family, especially my two young daughters, 10 year old Melissa and 7 in half year old Alana. The two of them kept asking what they could do to help and could they come with me next time to the Food Bank. I went to Hands on Nashville's website www.hon.org and found that Second Harvest has a family night every Thursday. Kids as young as 7 can volunteer their time and help those who are less fortunate. I had no idea how great an impact Second Harvest Food Bank would have on my children. They now look forward to Thursday nights, and they want to go work as often as possible. They even want to find a food bank in Virginia, where we are headed for a family reunion, so they can share the "volunteer experience with their cousins." This organization has made a lasting imact on the giving spirit within my children. Please bring your family to Thursday's sort night at Second Harvest Food Bank. A few hours of your time can make a huge difference to so many people who need your help and prayers. E-mail volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org to see how you can volunteer with Second Harvest.

Volunteer Spotlight: Hiking Meetup

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:00:29 +0000

[caption id="attachment_596" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Members of Nashville Hiking Meetup Volunteer in Second Harvest’s Sort Room"][/caption] “We’re about giving of ourselves,” said Kurt Andress, one of Nashville Hiking Meetup’s assistant organizers. Nashville Hiking Meetup has been a huge asset to Second Harvest. Members of this social network of hikers and eco-volunteers typically donate their time once a month. Although they help twice a month during the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays, their time at the Food Bank increased after the flood. Andress noted that the group has adopted Second Harvest as its non-hiking trail involvement activity. “The work I get to do at Second Harvest is very fulfilling,” Andress exclaimed. “My dad has been involved with one of the food banks in New Mexico for a long time, and volunteering at Second Harvest is a labor of love. No one had to twist my arm to get involved.” Ben Webster, Second Harvest’s evening volunteer coordinator, said he is always excited when Nashville Hiking Meetup comes to help. “This group knows what they’re doing,” Webster noted. “They get right to work, and they’re always productive. This is a dependable group, and it’s always great when we have recurring volunteer groups that work efficiently and effectively.” Due to Nashville Hiking Meetup’s productivity, Andress has become a part of Second Harvest’s new Volunteer Leadership Program. Through this program as well as his volunteer shifts with Nashville Hiking Meetup, Andress has learned to coordinate and delegate his group during their volunteer sessions. Members of Nashville Hiking Meetup are active individuals that feel that community involvement is part of their civic duty. They helped clean some of Nashville’s greenways after the flood as well as parks around town. “Volunteering is a part of our organization,” Andress said. “It goes hand in hand with our group’s purpose.”

E-mail volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org for upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Corporate Partner Spotlight: O'Charley's Inc. Rising to Meet the Need

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:00:38 +0000

The week following the floods was challenging in many ways for organizations who serve communities throughout Middle Tennessee. Second Harvest was no exception, sustaining losses ourselves close to $200,000 and limited access to our Metro Center warehouse for four days. As a disaster relief agency and an organization who regularly serves those who are daily struggling to meet of the most basic of needs – enough food to fill their families’ plates – we couldn’t let these challenges slow our response at such a critical time. With the help of many individuals, organizations and local businesses we rose to meet the need in our communities. One of the first calls we received was from our long-time supporter, O’Charley’s, Inc. In just a few days time they had activated a fundraising campaign across all their stores to give 10 percent of all gift card sales for their O’Charley’s and Stoney River brands to Second Harvest Food Bank and the American Red Cross. This campaign will generate thousands of much needed dollars for our disaster relief efforts. Gift cards for this campaign are available until June 30, 2010. They’ve even created a special card with flood relief artwork. You can check it out at www.ocharleys.com/giftcards. We would like to extend a special thank you to O’Charley’s not only for their support at this crucial time during our flood relief efforts but also for their ongoing commitment to fight hunger in our community. Through annual financial contributions and volunteer support, O’Charley’s continues to demonstrate their dedication to hunger relief.

First Harvest Café: Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:00:03 +0000

Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet

House Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream, and Shredded Cheese
Sautéed Green and Red Peppers and Sautéed Onions
Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Dry Rubbed Grilled Flank Steak
Vegetarian Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)
Mexican Rice
Nachos
Key Lime Bars

Flood Update

Second Harvest Staff — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 08:00:51 +0000

Spring has always been a time of year that represents new life and a close to another school year, but this spring season had a different plan. The month of May took a toll on Middle Tennesseans with flood waters devastating many communities. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has been on the frontlines assisting those who have been affected distributing food, water, and cleaning supplies to individuals and agencies. Second Harvest has distributed more than one million pounds of food, water, and cleaning supplies and has served more than 600,000 meals to those in the community since the flood. With 46 counties in Second Harvest’s service area, 32 of those counties have been declared disaster areas. “During times of disaster, people who have been affected can easily lose hope and feel overwhelmed with what the future holds,” said Matthew Bourlakas, Second Harvest’s Chief Operating Officer. “As a first responder, Second Harvest quickly reacted to meet the immediate emergency food needs and will continue to work alongside our community food partners to identify and address long term food needs. I feel very proud to be part of an organization that not only fights hunger everyday, but also during times of disaster.” The Food Bank located in Metro Center had its challenges for a few days after the flood due to high water and debris in the facility’s loading dock area as well as lack of power in the building. With the Cumberland River’s waters rising, the levee was in jeopardy of breaching for several days after the rain stopped, and this placed Second Harvest’s Martin Distribution Center in danger. “I was on pins and needles during this time,” said Jaynee Day, Second Harvest’s president and CEO. “All I could do was hope and pray that the levee would hold. I have been with the Food Bank for over twenty-two years. I’ve experienced its progression, and I knew the community would need our help. With many families losing a lifetime of possessions, we have a long road to recovery ahead of us.” Despite the hardship, the Second Harvest team was able to transport 136 pallets, which is about 7 truckloads, of Disaster Relief boxes and other nonperishable food products to a warehouse by the Nashville airport while the levee’s structure was uncertain. Second Harvest was able to resume full-force operations on May 7, and the Food Bank owes much of its relief outreach success to those who donated their time volunteering. Meghan Markie, Second Harvest’s volunteer services manager said the community’s response has been nothing less than inspirational. “We at Second Harvest have been grateful for the outpouring of generosity from our community,” Markie said. “Volunteers stepped up immediately and went to our Emergency Food Box locations as well as Nashville’s Disaster Information Centers to distribute Disaster Relief Boxes while Second Harvest’s building was closed. Since the Food Bank opened later that week, volunteers have sorted food in record time and packed over 7,500 Disaster Relief Boxes.” As people begin to rebuild their lives and regain a sense of normalcy, Second Harvest will be with them every step of the way. The Food Bank will be giving assistance to those affected by the flood for months to come as well as continuing its efforts to feed those who are hungry in the Middle Tennessee community. Second Harvest would like to commend and express gratitude to the entire community for pulling together and helping their neighbors during this time of crisis.

And the Winner is...

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:53:29 +0000

Whitt’s Barbeque went head to head against Famous Dave’s on Saturday, June 19^th in Macy’s BBQ Challenge. The event was hosted at the Macy’s in Cool Springs Galleria to find the best tasting BBQ in the Franklin area. For each $1 donation to Feeding America, customers could place a vote on their favorite BBQ. The Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee helped host this event by selling tickets and giving away reusable bags. Customers also enjoyed prizes, which included cooking merchandise courtesy of Macy’s and live entertainment while feasting on ribs and pulled pork. Congratulations to Whitt’s Barbeque, and thanks to Macy’s, your customers, Whitt’s, and Famous Dave’s for supporting Feeding America and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee!

Community Outreach Volunteers Wanted

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:00:51 +0000

Second Harvest is looking for Community Outreach Volunteers to be trained to represent the Food Bank at booth events, food drives, and special events. Volunteers will commit to going through training about the food bank, and then to participate in at least 5 community outreach projects throughout the year. This is perfect for friendly, outgoing volunteers who want to tell other volunteers about the mission of Second Harvest. To get involved with this fun volunteer opportunity, please email volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org.

Healthy Options Made Easy

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:00:30 +0000

written by: Rebekah Jacques, Second Harvest's RD Over the past two months, several Dietitians and women working in the nutrition field from around town have come together at Second Harvest to host a series of six cooking classes in partnership with the Homeless Commission. The series is entitled H.O.M.E. which stands for Healthy Options Made Easy. The classes are designed to teach basic cooking skills to individuals who may have experienced homelessness in the past but now have access to housing and a kitchen. We teach simple and nutritious recipes that can be easily replicated. After preparing the food and receiving hands on experience, everyone sits down together to eat providing a great avenue for conversation and creating an opportunity to discuss any questions the attendees may have in regards to nutrition, cooking, or their grocery budget. At the close of the class, there is typically enough food for the participants to be able to take leftovers home for dinner. They also receive a small cooking utensil such as a vegetable peeler or a set of measuring cups as a thank you from us for attending each class. Our hope is that the participants will leave the class with not only the skills but also the desire to continue to make homemade, healthy meals for themselves and their families.

Disaster Relief Roundtable with FEMA

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:00:35 +0000

First Harvest Café: Tennessee River Marina Buffet

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:00:42 +0000

BackPack Program Rolls into the Summer

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 08:00:41 +0000

During the school year, Second Harvest’s BackPack program provides a weekend supply of food to children who may not be receiving adequate nutrition while at home. This Children’s Feeding program that Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee offers does not stop once school is out. Since 2004, this program has continued to run throughout the summer by partnering with community organizations around Middle Tennessee. Second Harvest has received one of its largest requests ever for backpacks this summer. This was due to efforts to expand the amount of BackPacks distributed during the summer. Each pack of food contains small canned entrees, such as beef stew and chili, cereal, applesauce, fruit cups, fruit juice, chocolate milk, and snacks. It is crucial that the BackPack program to continue into the summer months when kids are out of school with more free time during the day, and they are unable to receive breakfast and lunch, which are two meals that schools often provide for children who receive free or reduced meals. Currently, there are five BackPack programs operating over the summer serving 925 kids. For more information about our BackPack Program and other Children’s Feeding Programs, contact Whitney Cowles at 615-329-3491. If you would like information about how to volunteer for our BackPack Program, contact our volunteer manager at volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org.

Volunteer Spotlight: Congratulations and thank you Hands on Nashville!

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:00:15 +0000

Guest Blog by Meghan Markie, Second Harvest Volunteer Services Manager

I recently attended the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in New York City. This was an inspirational gathering of volunteers, volunteer managers, non-profits, and board members from all over the country. I was proud of Nashville for receiving one of the Cities of Service Leadership Grants, and excited to see Laurel Creech be introduced as our Chief Service Officer. I also had the privilege of witnessing as our own Hands on Nashville was awarded the George W. Romney Volunteer Center Excellence award, at Radio City Music Hall. As I listened to the (remarkable) achievements Hands on Nashville has accomplished in the last year, I heard the presenter say “with a staff of only 7 people….” The lady in front of me whispered to her friend, “Did you hear that? They only have 7 people on staff. Amazing.” It truly is.

Hands on Nashville provides Second Harvest with approximately 150 volunteers each week, many of whom are new to our mission of fighting hunger and feeding hope. Hands on Nashville volunteers consistently ask for additional opportunities to volunteer, to become volunteer leaders, and to get involved in the fight against hunger. And that’s just what they do for Second Harvest! They have brought volunteers together for nonprofit organizations for years, however after the flooding in Middle TN, it was apparent that Hands on Nashville is an asset not only for organizations like ours, but the entire Nashville community. Second Harvest was host to “Mike from Michigan” for after the floods. Mike volunteered with us for 13 hours straight for 3 full days, sorting food donated for flood victims and from the letter carrier’s food drive. He had seen Nashville flooding on television, and thought about coming down to help out, however quickly dismissed it, thinking that he would “be in the way.” He then saw that he could go online to Hands on Nashville to find available volunteer opportunities. Once there, he said that he was thrilled to find that there were actually opportunities for him to help with relief efforts. He said “every city should have something like Hands on Nashville.” I agree! And I can’t say enough thank you’s to the HON staff of 7, who send me email “smiles” on a very regular basis.

From the staff, volunteers, and the people that we serve, a sincere CONGRATULATIONS, and THANK YOU, Hands on Nashville. In New York, everywhere you look, you see an “I heart NY” t-shirt. Well, I would like to say that We heart HON.

In Tennessee, 20 percent of children are food insecure, and Tennessee rank 20th in the country for food insecure children

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:00:06 +0000

Feeding America report reveals new state-level data on child hunger

Nashville, Tenn. – July 7, 2010 – Twenty percent of children in Tennessee are experiencing food insecurity, according to new research released by Feeding America and funded by the ConAgra Foods Foundation, Feeding America’s Leadership Partner in the Fight to End Child Hunger. Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008 reveals that 280,740 children under the age of 18 in Tennessee are food insecure. This means 19.6 percent of children in Tennessee are food insecure. Although Tennessee is one of the top 20 states for food insecure children, Tennessee is one of the top 10 states with the highest decrease in the rate of children under 18 who are food insecure. Tennessee had a -0.1 percent decrease in the rate of children under 18 who are food insecure from the 2005-2007 study to the 2006-2008 study. “Although Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and other state hunger organizations are meeting the needs for some children, there are many others that aren’t served adequate nutritious foods, which can lead to health and developmental issues,” said Jaynee Day, Second Harvest’s president and CEO. “This study shows there are children in our community that do not know where their next meal is coming from, and childhood hunger is an issue that continues to be addressed through our Children’s Feeding Programs.” The study also reveals regional data on food insecurity for children under the age of 5. In the South, more than one in five children or nearly 22 percent of young children are food insecure – the highest rate in the nation. The Western region of the country has the second highest rate of young child food insecurity at nearly one in five, or 19.6 percent. The Midwest has a rate of more than one in six, or 18.6 percent; and the Northeast has a rate of nearly one in seven, or 13.7 percent. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) releases an annual report on the state of food insecurity in the United States, which focuses on the general population in each state. This new report delves deeper into the data in order to bring the child hunger statistics to the forefront. While the recent 2009 USDA food insecurity report revealed that nationally, nearly one in four children is food insecure, determining detailed, state-level estimates on child food insecurity requires looking at a three-year average to increase accuracy and reliability. Though high, these estimates are expected to rise over the coming years as the full impact of the economic downturn is taken into account. Through the support of the ConAgra Foods Foundation, Feeding America contracted nationally-recognized researcher John Cook, Ph.D. to analyze the USDA’s food insecurity raw data in order to provide state-level child food insecurity estimates. “Research over the past 12 years shows conclusively that food insecurity and hunger are serious threats to children’s health, growth and development, and may even harm young children’s brain architecture,” Cook said. “This report demonstrates the crisis that our country continues to face at the local level,” said Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of Feeding America. “The fight against hunger is more important than ever. We thank our longtime partners at the ConAgra Foods Foundation for their ongoing support in the fight against child hunger and their commitment to funding critical research, such as this study by Dr. Cook. The data underscores the critical importance of passing the new Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act. We are committed to putting an end to child hunger.” The ConAgra Foods Foundation has been a dedicated partner of Feeding America for more than 15 years, providing both food and funds in the fight against hunger. ConAgra Foods recently committed $10 million over five years to fight child hunger with Feeding America. This is the largest donation in Feeding America’s history specifically designated to support the fight against child hunger. “We’re dedicated to helping solve childhood hunger, but to do so we must first understand the need. That’s why the ConAgra Foods Foundation funded this study with Feeding America and Dr. Cook,” said Kori Reed, Executive Director, ConAgra Foods Foundation. “Knowing where children are most in need of our support will allow us to better direct our funding and resources to provide the most relief. It will also bring all of us one step closer to ending child hunger in America.” The full report, including a complete list of all 50 states, is available at http://feedingamerica.org/our-network/the-studies/child-food-insecurity.aspx.

Bits of Good – How small things add up to create BIG results

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:00:40 +0000

Hunger relief. It’s big – really big. With more than 49 million Americans at risk for hunger every day, how can one person make a difference? Though tackling the problem of hunger may seem a daunting task, individuals across our country and in our communities are taking steps to make sure our neighbors have enough food to feed themselves and their families. They are doing this through volunteer service, food drives, donations, and collaborations. One great collaborative effort is Fruit2day’s “Bits of Good ” campaign taking place on Facebook right now. For every bit of good Facebook users gift to their friends, Fruit2day will donate 2 meals to Second Harvest Food Bank. Not only is gifting Bits of Good fun, it is also a great FREE way for you as a single person to make a BIG impact. When it’s all said and done, Fruit2day will be donating 40,000 meals to people in need right here in Middle Tennessee and you can say you helped make that happen. To donate your Bit of Good, simply go to Fruit2day’s Facebook page and click “Gift a bit of good NOW!” Choose your friends you want to send bits of good to, enter your message to them and hit “Send.” You can send it to as many friends as you like, and each time, Fruit2day will donate two meals to Second Harvest. Hunger is a big problem, but if we work together, we can make real strides in finding a solution. Every small step we take, we move ourselves closer toward a larger goal of creating a community where no one goes to bed hungry. What bit of good will you do today?

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First Harvest Cafe: Tuscan Holiday

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:00:46 +0000

First Harvest Cafe Menu Panzanella Smiley’s Farms Ridge Top tomatoes and cucumbers are the stars of this wonderful salad. Angel Hair Pasta w/ Swiss Chard, Golden Raisins, and Pine nuts Ziti Rustica (Eggplant and sausage) Chicken Piccata (A light lemon sauce) Panna Cotta with Fresh South Carolina Peaches and Finished with Ridge Top Wild Black Drizzle For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Plant a Row for the Hungry

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:00:36 +0000

Plant A Row for the Hungry is a people-helping-people program to help feed the hungry in local neighborhoods and communities. one million pounds of produce to help feed those at risk for hunger. We are asking Americans to join us and help their neighbors who experience hunger or the threat of hunger. Launched in 1995, Plant A Row is a public service program of the Garden Writers Association and the GWA Foundation. The program encourages gardeners and farmers to plant an extra row of produce each year and donate their surplus to local food banks, soup kitchens and service organizations to help feed America’s hungry. If every gardener plants one extra row of vegetables and donates their surplus to local food agencies and soup kitchens, a significant impact can be made on reducing hunger. Take the pledge and donate whatever you can. If 5,000 people donate 25 pounds of produce — roughly the equivalent of one full grocery bag — we’d hit our goal of gleaning 125,000 pounds of fresh produce for hungry men, women and children throughout Middle Tennessee this year. A single cucumber plant can yield up to 15-20 cucumbers. A single bell pepper plant can yield 6-8 peppers. It’s easier than you think. And, nothing beats the taste and nutrition of fresh-picked vegetables. Growing and eating from your own garden can improve your health, save money, increase your sustainability, and decrease your carbon footprint. And most important, your garden can help a lot of people in need. You can Make A Difference! Plant or glean vegetables, fruit or herbs from your home or community garden Deliver the harvest to one of our community food partners near you Sponsor Plant a Row with an in-kind donation or provide financial support Organize a Plant a Row campaign in your neighborhood To learn more about this program, contact Heidi.Tieslau@secondharvestmidtn.org or 615.329.3491.

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:41:41 +0000

Volunteer Leaders Step Up Service

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Since kicking off our volunteer leader program in May, we have been thrilled with the leaders that have stepped up to get involved in the mission of Second Harvest. Volunteers are now able to learn even more about how the food bank works, and participate in planning events such as Hunger Action Month, coming up in September! If you weren’t able to make the first volunteer leader orientation, we have additional opportunities to get involved. This program is for volunteers who are 16 or older, and are interested in learning leadership skills while making a difference in the community. If you fit that description, please attend our Volunteer Leader Program Orientation on Saturday, August 21st from 11:00-1:00 at the food bank. Lunch will be provided. This program will train volunteers to be effective committee members, lead projects in food sorting, packing backpacks, and participating in Special Events, Agency Relations and Marketing functions as a lead volunteer. Information about all department’s leadership opportunities will be available, and you will be able to choose which areas interest you the most. Please RSVP to Caroline.Foley@shfbmt.org. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer leader, but not able to attend the orientation, please email Caroline.Foley@shfbmt.org.

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Donor Spotlight: Phil and Missy Russ

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:00:26 +0000

How did you become involved with Second Harvest? Phil: I first became involved in the early ‘80s when a friend asked me to join Second Harvest’s board. I was on the board for a few years then completed my term. I rejoined the board in the early ‘90s and was board president during part of that term. Though I’m no longer on the board, I like to stay in the loop and help where I can. There are many worthwhile groups, but this is an organization where you see the immediate effect on the community. I also like that 96 cents of every dollar goes directly to the programs because that’s really important. When did you begin volunteering? Missy: I began volunteering in the early ‘90s. I read in the newsletter they needed volunteers to help with a mailing, and I thought “I can do that,” so I started helping regularly. Over the years, I have had many friends help as well. We’ve been volunteering for almost 20 years now, mainly working with the development department. Has your involvement with Second Harvest formed a new understanding and awareness of hunger issues within the Middle Tennessee community? Phil: I have gained a new awareness of what it takes to prevent and fight hunger. For example, the idea of “food deserts” come to mind, which are areas that only have convenience markets for food because there aren’t any grocery stores nearby. We’ve been in outlying areas where the community has to travel 10-12 miles to the next town to get to a proper grocery store. There are lots of places in rural areas that don’t have many opportunities for good nutrition, so the grocery rescue program, Middle Tennessee’s Table, is a huge, important undertaking. Also, the Kids Cafe program started when I was on the board in the ‘90s, and the program works because the entire community is involved and committed to it. What are some ways that you would suggest for others to get involved with the Food Bank? Missy: Well, I’ve done a lot of different things at the Food Bank, but I recently sorted food for the first time and really enjoyed it. I thought it was one of the most fascinating things, and it’s a good way to open the door to see what Second Harvest does. I would think that there’s going to be a surge of need this summer after the flooding we had in Tennessee. Phil: I think volunteering is a great option for schools, civic organizations, church groups, or synagogues. Whether it’s giving money or volunteering, there’s always a need.

Claudette, Nancy,&mark

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:50:52 +0000

Cooks Rule

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:00:50 +0000

Chef Mark Rubin taught these culinary students the art of cooking during a weeklong day camp. This week's theme was Summer Global Cuisine.

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First Harvest Cafe: French Cruise

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:00:13 +0000

Spinach Salad Tossed with Purple Onions and Bacon or Pine Nuts
Chicken Dijonaise
Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy)
Buttered Egg Noodles
Glazed Baby Carrots with Petite Peas
Crepes with Fresh Fruit Sauce

The Face of Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:00:42 +0000

Guest blog by Brian Zralek of Community Food Advocates Last week, the House Education and Labor committee “marked up” the Child Nutrition legislation. These programs include school meal programs, summer and afterschool meals and snacks, and the Women Infant and Children (WIC) programs. This is great news! Now it is up to us as concerned citizens and advocates to make sure the Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) package gets full funding. As Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in regards to CNR, "Now is the time to act boldly!" Why is Child Nutrition Reauthorization so important? More than 20 percent of Tennesseans and nearly 18 percent of Nashvillians are hungry. They know the fear of not being certain where their next meal is coming from or have to skip meals so their children can eat. Many of us have never had to experience this feeling, but in today’s economy, it is likely that someone you know is facing hunger. A recent report by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) showed the extent to which Americans faced food hardship in 2008 and 2009. The report is based on survey data that was collected by Gallup as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index project. Clearly hunger is a wide-spread problem in Tennessee and across our country, but something can be done about it. Community Food Advocates and Second Harvest encourages everyone to urge Members of Congress to support full funding of Child Nutrition Reauthorization - H.R. 5504. Urge your members of Congress to invest an additional $1 billion/year for ten years in Child Nutrition funding as President Obama has requested, by adding funding for program access priorities; and oppose cutting SNAP Nutrition Education funds. Only by taking action – by concerned citizen, elected officials, and organizations creating programs to address hunger – will we see a change. Click here for more information about/from FRAC. Click here to find your member of Congress. For more information about Community Food Advocates, please click here.

Happy Sweet 16

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:03:51 +0000

Lauren celebrates her 16th birthday at Second Harvest volunteering in our warehouse sorting food.

Did You Know that Second Harvest Manufactures Food?

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:00:37 +0000

Guest Blog by Allison Black, Second Harvest Intern [caption id="attachment_993" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Preparing boil-in-a-bag meals in our Cook Chill Center"][/caption] Second Harvest has given me several new experiences since starting my internship in early June. One morning last week, I helped in the Cook/Chill Center. This is an area of the Food Bank that is often overlooked, though it is extremely important to the success of Second Harvest. The Cook/Chill Center is in the back of our warehouse, where we do our manufacturing. Many times, Second Harvest gets in large shipments of food that we need to cook quickly so that it's are not wasted. We immediately freeze any meat that we receive, and only give out the best of it in order for our partners to receive the best quality, healthy food. However, since there is a lot of leftover food, such as ground beef and is perfectly good when cooked, we cook it and repack it back in the Cook/Chill Center. There is a long process using big equipment to cook and package food, in fact, our Food Bank is one of the only food banks in the area that has the capacity to make meals like these because of the cost of the equipment and manufacturing expense. The food is cooked, then packaged and frozen very quickly to ensure that FDA and USDA regulations are followed, and then the meals are sent to agencies across Middle Tennessee and sometimes even the nation. When I was helping last week, I went into the very chilly room, made friends with the guys back there (most of which are doing Community Service), and started working with them. We packaged meals, which looked like frozen TV dinners, that were headed for a Children’s Feeding Program later that week. Even though when you're working in Cook/Chill you're not actually handing the food to hungry kids and seeing their smiles, there is still a sense of accomplishing a greater good. Knowing that all this work will feed a hungry child made the cold more tolerable and the atmosphere a fun place to be.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:59:42 +0000

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Bring Your Canned Goods to the Renaissance Hotel on August 1!

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 08:00:22 +0000

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First Harvest Cafe: Picnic on the Cumberland

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:00:43 +0000

First Harvest Cafe Menu

Smiley’s Farm Fresh Slice
Tomatoes Cole Slaw
Smiley’s Farm Yellow Squash Casserole
Home Made Chicken Salad
Bro’s Cajun Restaurant Smoked Boston Butts
Home Made Pecan and Chocolate Chip Bars

For $12 per person, you receive a great all-you-can-enjoy lunch. Help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Cooks in the Kitchen

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:00:39 +0000

Guest Blog by Allison Black, Second Harvest Intern [caption id="attachment_1010" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Claudette Patterson, Nancy Vienneau, and Chef Mark Rubin"][/caption] For those of you who enjoy cooking, baking, grilling, or eating, we’ve got a volunteer opportunity for you! On the afternoon of June 24th, I was lucky enough to step out of the Marketing Department and into the Culinary Arts Center to prepare for that Friday’s meal: Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet. I didn’t realize how much preparation went into the lunches we all eat every Friday here at the Food Bank. Claudette, Second Harvest's assistant chef, ran the kitchen, since Chef Mark Rubin was on vacation. The CAC was wonderfully spirited with laughter and fun throughout the day. We chopped, peeled, grilled, smashed, and laughed all day long with several volunteers who came to help. After we prepared the food for the Friday lunch, we moved on to dinner for the Thursday night board meeting. The delicious menus were prepared under Claudette’s supervision, and the food turned out great (which you already knew if you were at lunch on Friday, June 25). I had such a fun day volunteering over in the kitchen, knowing that the money to be made from the lunch would go towards feeding others. The CAC also gives lessons for our partner agencies, teaching them how to store and prepare food healthily, and it's home to our annual Cooks' Rule summer cooking day camps. Make sure to come to lunch again! We have a delicious meal every Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Make sure to meet Claudette, Chef Mark, and all the volunteers who will once again be working hard to prepare the meal. To volunteer in the CAC, e-mail volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:39:46 +0000

Volunteer at a Mobile Pantry

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:41:57 +0000

Guest blog by Meghan Markie, Second Harvest Volunteer Services Manager Mobile Pantries are a great way to get involved with the mission of Second Harvest. Volunteers will have a chance to work hard, have fun, and see firsthand the work that Second Harvest and our Community Food Partners are doing to fight hunger and feed hope. Marissa Campbell, who volunteered at a recent Mobile Pantry at the Well in Spring Hill, said, her volunteer experience was an amazing as she was able to hand food directly to people who were in need. "I was shocked by how many of our neighbors, friends, and people we see at church are in need of help," Campbell exclaimed. Mobile Pantries help families in our 46-county service area, and we ship about 15,000 pounds of food to each Mobile Pantry location. "The need is so great, and volunteering at a Mobile Pantry changed how I think about the problem of hunger," Campbell explained. "Volunteering at this event changed my life. It was a great time, and very meaningful." A Mobile Pantry is a great way to get involved and learn more about what we do here at Second Harvest. Volunteers at Mobile Pantries help set up, hand out food to those in need, and clean up after the event. Sign up to volunteer at a Mobile Pantry at Hand on Nashville , or e-mail our Volunteer Services Manager with any questions at volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org. Click here to see more photos from our Mobile Pantries.

Claudette, Nancy,&mark

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:17:52 +0000

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Hunger Does Not Take a Vacation

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:17:35 +0000

Guest blog by Rebekah Jacques, Second Harvest Nutrition Manager and RD Children's Feeding programs are more important than ever during the summer months as many of the children who receive free or reduced breakfasts and lunches during the school year may not have access to healthy meals when school is not in session. Several of Second Harvest’s Kids Cafe sites have been open throughout the summer to offer meals to children during their summer vacation. During the months of June and July, Second Harvest also has had the opportunity of sponsoring breakfast for 12 other sites through the Summer Food Service Program. As the summer comes to an end and everyone is getting reading to head back to school, we are looking forward to starting a new series of nutrition lessons at each of our Kids Cafe sites. Dietetic interns from Vanderbilt University and Lipscomb University will be working with me this Fall and Spring to help create and teach nutrition lessons to children ranging from Pre-K to the 8th grade.

Jeni

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:19:55 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:21:56 +0000

First Harvest Cafe: Cajun Salute

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:00:22 +0000

Cajun Salute

Smiley Farms Fresh Sliced Tomatoes with Fresh Basil
Chicken Etouffeè
Shrimp, Okra and Andouille Smoked Sausage Gumbo
Rice
Smiley Farms Zucchini
Bourbon Street Bread Pudding

For $12 per person (tax included,) you receive a great lunch and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:48:10 +0000

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Back to School

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:00:32 +0000

Providing food assistance to families and children has always been at the center of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee’s mission. Our Children’s Feeding Programs allow us to go directly to children in need and not only feed them, but also educate them on healthy food choices. Second Harvest provides nutritious meals and snacks to children through our 18 Kids Cafe sites that supplement existing community and after-school programs. The BackPack Program, which supplies hungry children with a pack of nutritious and ready-to-eat food to take home on weekends, has expanded to 42 sites. The newest initiative, Together We Grow, launched at 3 Kids Cafe sites in May and teaches children how to start and maintain their own “bucket garden,” a practical sustainable way to produce food. With the school year starting up this month, would you consider supporting children in need throughout Middle Tennessee? Your gift will help keep children’s bellies full and their minds focused on school, where it should be. Click here to donate today to our Children’s Feeding Programs.

Volunteer Spotlight: Jeni Waldrip

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:00:49 +0000

After watching an episode of Home Makeover Extreme Edition, Jeni Waldrip was inspired to help build a better community. She found herself perusing the Hands on Nashville website, and she said she was drawn to Second Harvest like a magnet. "My faith is very important to me, and loving others is critical to that faith," Jeni said. "Many times before you can love someone, they have an immediate need to be met—in this case, hunger." Jeni has been a devoted Second Harvest volunteer since last September, and she helps in Second Harvest's sort room every Tuesday night except for the second Tuesday of the month when she's serving dinner at Nashville Rescue Mission. She's spreading her generosity throughout Music City. Jeni described her volunteer experience with Second Harvest as a blessing as she works alongside singles and families in order to feed their neighbors. She believed that Second Harvest's volunteer shifts are productive, and it has made her feel like she is serving a greater good. "With the numerous programs Second Harvest has, we are reaching hundreds if not thousands of folks in our community and across the country, meeting an immediate need of theirs," Jeni exclaimed. "It feels really good! And, of course, it's a great workout. I always say, 'You're not working hard enough if you're not dripping with sweat at the end of the evening.' I always sleep well on Tuesday nights after a shift at the Food Bank!"

Congress Can Help End Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:00:52 +0000

Tennessee has over 250,000 children at risk of hunger. That’s about one in five children 18 years and younger who do not know where their next meal is coming from. These children are the ones who get sick more often, recover more slowly, and are more likely to be hospitalized. These are the same children with behavioral, emotional, and academic problems and show increased aggression and anxiety. These are also the children who are more susceptible to obesity and its harmful health consequences as children and adults. Needless to say, childhood hunger is a major issue in our state as well as the nation, and there’s a way you can help. Congress is considering legislation to strengthen child nutrition programs like school meals, WIC, and summer and afterschool feeding programs. Child Nutrition Reauthorization could not come at a more critical time. The child nutrition bill would increase children’s access to these important programs and the nutrition they provide. Second Harvest’s Kids Cafe and BackPack programs, along with federal child nutrition programs, are a vital part of the web of support for hungry children. Whitney Cowles, Second Harvest’s Associate Director of Program Services believes that the reauthorization of the child nutrition bill would give the Food Bank the means to open more Children’s Feeding Program locations in order to serve after-school and summer meals and snacks to hungry children in Middle and West Tennessee. “In addition, the bill would improve the nutritional quality of meals served in schools, which could dramatically improve the health of all of Tennessee’s children,” Cowles said. Brett Weisel, Feeding America’s Advocacy Manager, noted that there are two main goals for the Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill. “The first goal is to increase access to federal programs for children struggling with hunger,” Weisel said. “The second goal is to provide more nutritious food for these programs to combat obesity.” With this bill, Congress is poised to make progress against child hunger and childhood obesity, but we are facing a critical moment. Congress is running out of legislative calendar days to bring the child nutrition bill to the floor and complete the reauthorization before it expires September 30. If Child Nutrition Reauthorization is not passed this summer, millions of children will miss out on improved access to the nutritious food they need to learn and grow. Your voice is needed to demonstrate national support for completing a strong child nutrition bill this year. Help keep up the pressure on Congress to get the bill done by e-mailing your representatives with a simple message: America’s children can’t wait. Pass Child Nutrition Reauthorization now. Click here to contact your local representative. Click here to view the Weekends Without Hunger Act.

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Calling All Coins

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:00:09 +0000

Do you have a coin stash saved for a rainy day? If you do, we know how you can make your pennies count. Second Harvest has a new coin machine located in its lobby just waiting for you to feed it pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. The best part about donating your change to the Food Bank is that the machine will print you a receipt for your donation just like if you would have written us a check. Every little bit helps to feed your hungry neighbors in Middle Tennessee. Remember, $1=4 meals, and every penny counts.

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:27:32 +0000

First Harvest Cafe: American Roadhouse (August 6)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:00:38 +0000

This Friday‘s Lunch: American Road House

Fresh Ridge Top Tomatoes from Smiley’s Farm
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Sliders (yummy baby burgers!!)
Mac & Cheese
Sautéed Yellow Squash from Smiley’s Farm
Cornbread
Homemade Brownies
Iced tea, lemon

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

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Help Us End Childhood Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:00:09 +0000

On Thursday, August 5, the U.S. Senate passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (S. 3307). Unfortunately, the Senate made a last minute change to pay for the new investments in the bill by cutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP (formerly known as food stamps). There may be strong pressure for the House to pass the Senate child nutrition bill tomorrow, August 11 when the House returns to take a vote on a bill to provide emergency funding for Medicaid and teacher funding. While we support completing Child Nutrition Reauthorization this year, the Senate-passed bill does not make as robust of an investment in program access that the House bill would make, and it is paid for by cuts to SNAP benefits, nearly half of whom are children. This is not an acceptable child nutrition bill for the House to approve, and so we are urging the House to move its version when Congress returns in September. We are now calling on you to stand up and tell your Representative to pass the House version of Child Nutrition Reauthorization (H.R. 5504) when Congress returns in September. We need to show our leaders in Washington that our nation's children need a strong Child Nutrition bill that puts us on the path toward ending hunger. Help us deliver that message by taking action today! Calling your Representative is easy, and your voice will make a difference. You can help us get a better Child Nutrition bill! Click here to find your representative.

What’s your Way: Volunteer During Hunger Action Month

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:00:32 +0000

September is Hunger Action Month, when food banks all over the U.S. will ask communities to take action to fight hunger, all month long. Hunger Action Month is your opportunity to join a movement that has real and lasting impact on our effort to fight hunger and feed hope. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is kicking off our campaign, “30 ways in 30 days,” and we are asking Middle Tennesseans to take an action each day in September. I hope that you choose to fight hunger by volunteering for one of the many events we have leading up to and during September. You can help at Live on the Green Concert Series, join the 24-hour Sort-a-Thon, participate in “sign days” promoting Hunger Action Month, or participate in Poster Nashville Days. This September, our volunteers will raise awareness about the issue of hunger in our community in fun and creative ways. E-mail Meghan at volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org, or sign up at www.hon.org to make volunteering YOUR way in September.

Giving Creatively

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:00:29 +0000

Written by Renee Thompson, Second Harvest's Director of Philanthropy, Individual & Major Gifts Sometimes all it takes to motivate giving is to know that there is a need. After the catastrophic floods that hit Middle Tennessee in May, the Health Care Indemnity team (HCI), HCA’s self captive insurance company, wanted to raise money to help Second Harvest Food Bank replenish its $250,000 loss in perishable food items. HCI employees’ first response was to do a virtual food drive, which allows team members to donate online for the purchase of food. By encouraging their family and friends and some business associates to participate in the drive, HCI’s virtual food drive raised more than $6,000 for Second Harvest, which is the equivalent of 24,000 meals. Shortly thereafter, the department felt they could add volunteering to their efforts. Twenty-three HCA employees helped sort and repackage over 6,000 pounds of food for distribution to local families affected by the flood. “We had a great day and hopefully had some impact on the workload," Harriet Adrian, HCI Volunteer Project Coordinator remarked. "We loved this hands-on project and hope to do it again.” Still, Harriet felt that their efforts could go much further. She and Jim Hinton, President of HCI, realized that they had many contacts and vendors outside of Tennessee who may not know about our need following the flood disaster. After reaching out to their network of vendors, the response was overwhelming! Donations flowed in from law firms and vendors throughout the country who wanted to help support Second Harvest’s recovery efforts and provide emergency food assistance to hurting Middle Tennessee communities. All totaled, the entire campaign raised over $15,500! Heidi Tieslau, Second Harvest's Food and Fund Drive Manager said, “Harriet’s idea to share the Disaster Relief needs of our community to companies outside our 46-county service area was a wonderfully creative way to advocate for those in need of food during this time.” Hinton added that it was great to see a department coming together to help others. "I am moved by the caring and selflessness of everyone who participated," Hinton noted. "I hope that in future crises we can pull together and have a much larger effect than we could have alone.”

EMI Christian Music Group, Provident, & Word Band Together for Second Harvest

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:00:41 +0000

Guest Blog by Rachel Grief, Administrator, Corporate Communications of EMI Christian Music Group Due to the overwhelming need in our community as a result of the Flood of 2010, EMI Christian Music Group, Provident Music Group, and Word Entertainment responded with Christmas in July. For the month of July, we partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank, and in five short weeks, WOW Shares raised over 60,000 pounds of food for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. The WOW Shares partners: EMI Christian Music Group, Provident Music Group, and Word Entertainment entered into a friendly competition to see which company could raise the most food. Each company agreed to match up to $5,000 of employee giving. EMI Christian Music Group was the overall winner with 58,587 pounds and was given a Canned Food Art Trophy and bragging rights. Employees raised support for Second Harvest from friends, family, and colleagues through social networks, e-mails, and referrals. Additionally, food donations were raised through departmental bake sales; an “Ice Cream Break with Tin Can Treats,” which was a vintage Shasta loaded with “old school” ice cream favorites; lunch with Ana’s Table, a Veracruz Mexican food caterer; a truckload of bottled water weighing 40,000 pounds from Daily’s; and generous matching of funds within EMI Christian Music Group. Over 60 employees donated their time by volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank's warehouse. Employees worked in assembly-line fashion to pack Emergency Relief boxes and sorted donated foods. More than 8 pallets of Emergency Relief boxes were packed, yielding 9,600 meals. For more information about EMI Christian Music Group, please visit, www.emicmg.com, “Like” them on their Facebook page, EMI CMG Community, or follow them on Twitter @emicmgpromotion or @SparrowRecords.

First Harvest Cafe: Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet (August 13)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:00:48 +0000

First Harvest Cafe Menu: Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet

House Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream, and Shredded Cheese
Sautéed Green and Red Peppers and Sautéed Onions
Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Dry Rubbed Grilled Flank Steak
Vegetarian Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)
Mexican Rice
Nachos
Key Lime Bars

First Harvest Café is a $12 all-you-can-enjoy buffet that is open to the public on Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. We hope to see you for lunch!

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:39:29 +0000

The Growing Process

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:39:51 +0000

Guest blog by Josh Corlew In the Together We Grow program, Kids Cafe students have an exciting opportunity to learn about nutrition, gardening, biology, and chemistry while having fun! The sessions have focused on the plant life cycle and how we can make lots of good, healthy things to eat right on our porch. The participating Kids Cafe students have learned the basic parts of a plant, the process of photosynthesis, the necessary elements to create compost, and which parts of different plants we eat. They've also gained a working knowledge of good and bad bugs in a garden, learned how to harvest leafy greens properly, and how to water their plants effectively. The students are attentive, excited, and often open to trying good, healthy food by the end of each class!

Poster Nashville

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:00:18 +0000

If you love volunteering for Second Harvest, help us spread the word! We are sending volunteers out to “poster Nashville” with information about volunteering with us. This fun event will take place on Friday, August 27th from 1-4 p.m. Volunteers will meet at the food bank for a tour as well as receive information and supplies. Then, we will travel to different areas of Nashville to hang posters. Interested volunteers will need their own transportation and an enthusiastic attitude! For more information, e-mail volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org, or sign up at www.hon.org.

What is Your Way?

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:00:34 +0000

Please visit www.thirtyways.org to sign up for your way to fight hunger!

First Harvest Cafe: Tuscan Celebration of Summer (August 20)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:00:52 +0000

Tuscan Celebration of Summer

Panzanella
Smiley’s Farms Ridge Top tomatoes and cucumbers are the stars of this wonderful salad.
Penne with Pesto
Fettuccine
Smiley’s Ridge Top Silver Queen Corm and Bacon with Purple Hull Peas
Chicken Parmesan
Panna Cotta with Tennessee Wild Blueberries

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

MimiSHFB

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:33:11 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:34:06 +0000

Board Member Spotlight: Mimi Vaughn

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:00:17 +0000

Second Harvest has some of Middle Tennessee's brightest professionals serving on our board fighting hunger. Mimi Vaughn, Sr. Vice President Strategy and Shared Services at Genesco, is one of these bright community leaders and has served on our board for the past four years. She recently served as Board President during the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Mimi commended her fellow board members as well as Second Harvest's leadership for their innovation and hard work. Mimi noted that she cannot imagine not being involved with Second Harvest even after her term runs out. "I plan on staying involved through Advisory Committees to the Board, through food sorting volunteering, through mobile pantry volunteering and any other way Jaynee needs me involved," Mimi said. "I think it is great for my children to be involved with Second Harvest as well." Mimi noted that she is motivated by the mission of feeding hungry people, and she is especially motivated by the children’s feeding programs. One in five children is at risk of hunger in Tennessee; and she feels that's far too many. (As do we!) Mimi said that one of the things she has learned since becoming involved with the Food Bank was the challenge of getting more food donated. "With unemployment above 10 percent in Tennessee and expected to stay above 9 percent on a national basis for the next year plus, people need Second Harvest more than ever before," Mimi noted. "Food manufacturers and retailers have gotten more efficient over the years and as a result have less product to donate. Second Harvest has responded to this situation in its typical innovative and creative way by purchasing food. The organization purchased almost $25 million of food for its own use and use by other food banks in the national organization. It’s important for people to know, Second Harvest is not just about food drives. For every $1 donated, Second Harvest can provide 4 meals to hungry children, women and men. Sometimes it is easier to donate dollars and Second Harvest will make great use of every dollar donated." Needless to say, Mimi brings a wealth of knowledge to Second Harvest, and we appreciate her dedication to our mission of feeding hungry people and working to solve hunger issues in our community.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:43:08 +0000

Volunteer at Live on the Green

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:46:49 +0000

If you didn't already know, September is Hunger Action Month and is fast approaching! Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is joining forces with Lightning 100 and Team Green. The September 9th Live on the Green is going "Orange" to promote hunger insecurity in our nation, and we need your help! We are looking for volunteers to help make Live on the Green go orange September 9th at Public Square Park. Second Harvest will also have volunteer opportunities during the entire Live on the Green concert series, which will be every Thursday from September 9th-October 14th from 6-10 p.m. Come help us spread the word that Hunger is NOT Okay at Live on the Green one Thursday in September or October! Sign up to volunteer at Hands On Nashville or e-mail volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org. Sign up for you "Way" to fight hunger at www.thirtyways.org.

Make Food Drives Your Way to Fight Hunger in September

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:00:28 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1149" align="aligncenter" width="384" caption="These are some of Second Harvest's most needed items during food drives."][/caption] With more people needing food assistance, food drives are more important than ever, and since September is Hunger Action Month, choose from various food drives as your way to fight hunger. Make sure to sign up at www.thirtyways.org to let us know your way! All of the Kroger Stores in our 46-county service area are hosting food drives during September. Please look for the prepackaged bags at your Kroger, and you can make this food drive your way on September 6th. Sign up at www.thirtyways.org. Starting on September 15th, Dollar General is pushing to fight hunger by hosting a food drive in their stores. Make this your way to fight hunger and let us know by signing up at www.thirtyways.org. Seventeen of Middle Tennessee Wal-Mart locations will support Second Harvest during the month of September. Their goal is to raise 25,000 pounds. Help them reach their goal and feed hungry people. Be sure to join Nationwide’s “On Your Side” Virtual Food Drive by clicking here to donate and tell us your way at www.thirtyways.org. Join Team Green for Yoga in Centennial Park on September 1st. They are fighting hunger by hosting a food drive at this event. Everyone who brings a grocery bag full of non-perishable food items will received a complimentary 6 month Team Green Membership. Click here to find out more details. If you are headed to the Demolition Derby on September 10th and 11th at the Tennessee State Fair, grab a few cans. They will be accepting food donations to support Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Live on the Green is a 6 week free concert series beginning September 9th at Public Square Park. Each week they will be accepting food donations at their id check. For more information please visit the Live on the Green website. The last weekend in September, TACA will be having their fall festival at Centennial Park in Nashville. They will be hosting a food drive in conjunction with this event. Look for the Second Harvest truck, and take your donations here while you shop and experience our States Craft Fair!

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:30:18 +0000

First Harvest Cafe: Summer French Cruise (August 26)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:00:12 +0000

Summer French Cruise

Salad Niçoise
Blanched and chilled baby green beans and new potatoes, hard boiled eggs, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers and grilled tuna.
Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Orzo Salad with roasted fennel
Baked Tomatoes Provençale
Baguette, butter
Creamsicle Petite Eclairs
Iced Tea, lemon

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Hunger Action Month

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:00:45 +0000

September is Hunger Action Month, and we invite you to join us as we fight hunger in communities across Middle Tennessee. Second Harvest Food Bank has identified at least one way each day of the month you can get involved, and we’re calling it “30 Ways in 30 Days.” Hunger affects more than 1 in 8 Tennesseans. It’s a big problem, and every year we see more and more people in need of food assistance. The 30 Ways in 30 Days campaign gives us real actions we can take to fight hunger here in Middle Tennessee. By joining us and choosing YOUR WAY, you are taking a stand and saying HUNGER IS NOT OK! Joining the fight against hunger has never been easier. To add your voice, go to www.ThirtyWays.org and follow these three simple steps. 1. Take the Hunger Action Month Pledge! The local food bank who receives the most pledges by the end of the month will win a truckload of food for hungry people in their community! 2. Find YOUR way Once you’ve taken the pledge, find your personal way on the 30 Ways in 30 Days calendar, and sign up to let us know you’ve found your way. You can sign up for as many ways as you like! 3. Spread the word! We want everyone to take the Hunger Action Month pledge, so once you’ve chosen your way, invite all your friends and family to make the pledge too! If we all work together, we can make great progress in the fight to end hunger. Thanks for helping us fight hunger and feed hope!

Melissa&JayneeBlog

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:27:12 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:21:37 +0000

Celebrate the National Day of Service

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:00:55 +0000

Calling all night owls! Second Harvest will once again celebrate the National Day of Service on September 11th by hosting a 24-hour Hunger Action Month Sort-a-Thon. This fun and fulfilling event will take place from noon on Friday, September 10th to noon on Saturday, September 11th. During this time, volunteers will sort food for our Emergency Food Box sites and Community Food Partners, and pack Backpacks for hungry children in Middle Tennessee. Each shift is “themed” and there will be individual and team costume and spirit contests, and prizes! We are still in need of several volunteers- family, group, and individuals- for Sort-a-Thon shifts. Please check www.hon.org or email volunteer@SHFBMT.org for more information. Celebrate the National Day of Service at the Hunger Action Month Sort-a-Thon! Sort-a-Thon Schedule

noon-3 p.m. Hawaiian
3-6 p.m. 80s dance party
6-9 p.m. Heroes
9-midnight Mardi Gras
midnight-3 a.m. Rock n Roll
3-6 a.m. Western
6-9 a.m. Hippy Daze
9-noon Toga

Mark

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:34:56 +0000

Tell Us Your Way

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:00:14 +0000

Tell us your way at www.thirtyways.org!

Kroger's Melissa Eads Shares Her Way to Fight Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:54 +0000

Guest blog by Melissa Eads, Community Relations Manager at Kroger [caption id="attachment_1157" align="alignright" width="320" caption="Kroger's Melissa Eads and Second Harvest's President and CEO Jaynee Day help unload a donation of Smithfield Hams."][/caption] I am excited to be a part of Hunger Action Month both personally and through my company, Kroger. Through this campaign Second Harvest is making it easy for all of us to help fight hunger. I will be part of a group of 40 Kroger associates who will participate in the 24-hour Sort-a-Thon by volunteering to sort food for a three hour shift on September 10th. I also plan to donate to the food bank by purchasing preassembled food bags for $6 at Kroger. Did you know you can donate food 365 days a year at your neighborhood Kroger store? I also plan to attend the Stars for Second Harvest concert at The Ryman on September 28th. If you have never attended this event, you are missing out on some great music and entertainment. You just never know who songwriter Craig Wiseman will invite to join him. Over the years I have seen Tim McGraw, Jon Bon Jovi, Ronnie Dunn, Randy Owen, Luke Bryant, and many more at this event. Hunger affects more than 1 in 8 Tennesseans with 1 in 5 children at risk for hunger. Join me and so many others by getting involved in Hunger Action Month. Find your way to give by going to www.ThirtyWays.org!

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:01:40 +0000

Join us for First Harvest Cafe

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:00:31 +0000

Break out your orange and join us for today's First Harvest Cafe! Chef Mark is preparing a delicious Picnic on the Cumberland with his team of culinary volunteers. This crew serves up a gourmet all-you-can-enjoy lunch right here at Second Harvest Food Bank's Culinary Arts Center. During the month of September, stop by between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for a Food Bank tour, and pick up your Hunger Action Month reusable bag before you experience Chef Mark's yummy lunch. The cost is $12 per person and all proceeds go back to support the programs and services of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Today's menu: Picnic on the Cumberland

Cole Slaw
Mark’s doctored Bake Beans
Fresh Grilled Hamburgers with assorted Toppings
Grilled BBQ Chicken
Root Beer Floats

Click here for more details about the Culinary Arts Center and First Harvest Café.

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:48:56 +0000

The Cheesecake Factory Helps Fight Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:00:42 +0000

The Cheesecake Factory has once again jumped on board to fight hunger during Hunger Action Month and all year long! On July 29, National Cheesecake Day, The Cheesecake Factory unveiled its newest flavor and pledged to use this new gooey, yummy dessert to fight hunger in America. From July 29, 2010 to January 31, 2011, for every slice of the new Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake sold, The Cheesecake Factory will donate $0.25 to Feeding America. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is able to stretch one dollar into four meals, which means one meal will be supplied for every slice of cheesecake sold. So as you enjoy your sweet dessert, you can feel great because you are helping us feed hungry people right here in Middle Tennessee!

Buy a T-Shirt and Supply 44 Meals

Second Harvest Staff — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:00:09 +0000

More than 1 in 8 Tennesseans face hunger every day. Sometimes, the problem is unseen, meaning the effects of hunger could be very real in the lives of your neighbors, coworkers, or family members. Now you can do something about that. September is Hunger Action Month , and Second Harvest Food Bank has teamed up with CoolPeopleCare to produce a compelling organic T-shirt. When you buy it, you'll be providing meals for 44 people. A single T-shirt never did so much. To find out other ways you can help during the month of September, visit ThirtyWays.org to fight hunger all month long!

Fighting Hunger Together with Walmart

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:00:29 +0000

Guest blog by Josh Cotton, Market Manager Nashville Area for Walmart Stores Inc. In May of this year Walmart and the Walmart Foundation announced a $2 billion cash and in-kind commitment, to help end hunger in America. The new five-year initiative, “Fighting Hunger Together,” includes four key components:

Donating more than 1.1 billion pounds of food from Walmart stores, distribution centers and Sam’s Club locations, valued at $1.75 billion.
Grants totaling $250 million to support hunger relief organizations at the national, state and local levels.
Collaboration with government, food manufacturers and other corporations that are fighting hunger to increase impact and reach a greater number of families in need.
Mobilizing Walmart associates and customers. For example, having our store associates and customers focused on efforts for the September Hunger Action month.

The associates of Greater Nashville Walmart are committed to the efforts of ending hunger in Middle Tennessee. The stores will sponsor food drives throughout the month of September to support Hunger Action Month. The efforts put forward by the local associates here in Nashville can help raise awareness to the vast need for struggling individuals. It is alarming to me that in Tennessee 1 and 5 children are at risk of food hunger. The fact that the need for food assistance has increased by 50 percent over the past 5 years shows that organizations such as the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee are more important than ever before. Walmart is committed to turning these trends and eliminating food hunger.

Turn Live on the Green Orange

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:00:50 +0000

With help from Team Green and Lightning 100, Live on the Green this Thursday, September 9th is going orange in honor of Hunger Action Month! Bring your non-perishables with you to the concert and drop them in the food drive boxes. While you're there, you'll enjoy tunes from Visual Artist, Hightide Blues, Five for Fighting, and Tonic. With this talented lineup, Live on the Green will be one great evening of music, fun, and philanthropy! There will also be plenty of volunteer opportunities if you would like to get involved while enjoying the concert at Public Square Park. There's no need to worry if you can't attend Live on the Green on the 9th. There are volunteer opportunities available every Thursday until October 14th.

Share Your Way with a 30 Second Video

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:00:50 +0000

Attention all social media fans! Today's featured way is creating a 30 second video telling us your way to fight hunger. The best video will win tickets to Stars for Second Harvest with Craig Wiseman and Friends at the Ryman on Sept. 28. Let us know about your video via Twitter or Facebook by sending a tweet to @2HarvestMidTN or posting to our Facebook wall at www.facebook.com/2HarvestMidTN. We will announce the winner at 5 p.m. today. Good luck, and let those creative vibes flow!

Agency Spotlight: West Putnam Food Ministries

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:00:58 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1166" align="alignright" width="384" caption="West Putnam Food Ministries held a mobile pantry at the Silver Point Community Center in May of 2009."][/caption] With two years in service, the West Putnam Food Ministries (W.P.F.M.) has accomplished a great deal. This group of 12 churches rallied members of their congregations to form W.P.F.M., and they have held several mobile pantries and sponsor a BackPack program at Baxter Elementary School. Anthony Crow, Silver Point Baptist Church pastor, said he feels like his group is making a difference in their community. "We have seen people in tears at the mobile pantries, so thankful for food," Crow said. "I have had people with master's degrees say that they never thought they would need free food." With a crew of about 50 to 70 volunteers giving their time at each mobile pantry W.P.F.M. holds, Crow noted that the community is not only being blessed but also those helping. Crow gave much of his group's assistance credit to Second Harvest. "I can't say enough about how much they have done," Crow exclaimed. "The way they have worked with us, supplied us with food, and helped with grant money to start the BackPack program at Baxter Elementary has been so wonderful!" Crow described the great need in his community and noted that jobs are scarce with high unemployment rates. Baxter Elementary School teachers have told Crow that over 50 percent of the school's children are at or below poverty level. Speaking on behalf of W.P.F.M., Crow said that he felt like feeding the hungry in their community was such a blessing, especially when they have been sharing their experience with church members of all denominations to serve those in need.

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:09:17 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:47:47 +0000

24-Hour Sort-A-Thon

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:00:07 +0000

Today is the Second Annual Hunger Action Month Sort-a-Thon at Second Harvest Food Bank, as well as the National Day of Service. Volunteers who signed up for the Sort-a-Thon will be sorting food, packing flood relief food boxes, and backpacks for the BackPack Program, from noon on September 10th until noon on September 11th. Corporations and organizations participating include Kroger, Nationwide, O’Charley’s, Hands on Nashville Volunteers, Dell, Vanderbilt Student Groups, Team Green, and Nashville Hiking Meetup. During last year’s event, over 50,000 lbs of food were sorted, and 13,000 backpacks were packed for hungry children. With the large volunteer turn out this year, we expect to beat those numbers, and we are going to have a blast doing it! Each shift is “themed” and volunteers are encouraged to wear costumes or orange (the color of hunger awareness) as well as bring their volunteer spirits for a team-based spirit contest. An addition to this year’s Sort-a-Thon is a Family Night Shift from 6-9 p.m. Families are encouraged to bring children ages 6 and up and participate in packing backpacks. The theme for that shift is “Super Heroes.” We think ALL of our volunteers are Super Heroes, and we are looking forward to a fun, productive, and exciting 24 hours!

Join the Huddle to Fight Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 13:00:10 +0000

Happy Grandparent's Day

Second Harvest Staff — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 13:00:58 +0000

September 12th is Grandparents Day! Instead of wandering around your local gift store looking for something to give your grandparents, who seem to have accumulated everything they need over the years, make a donation to hunger relief in their honor. Give online at www.ThirtyWays.org/donate and include a nice note in that funny greeting card that plays loud music telling them about all the hungry people you fed on their behalf. Help us fight hunger and feed hope in Middle Tennessee!

Donate to Nationwide's Virtual Food Drive

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:00:45 +0000

Guest blog by Paul Robinson, Nationwide's Staff Operations Director of the South Central Regional Office [caption id="attachment_1235" align="alignleft" width="384" caption="Nationwide employees participated in this year's 24-hour Hunger Action Month Sort-A-Thon"][/caption] Nationwide is very committed to reducing the level of hunger in the communities where our agents, associates, and policyholders live and work. Nationwide associates have been involved in many volunteer activities this year that support Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee as well as the Mid South Food Bank in Memphis. We have had two food drives in our Brentwood office and one in Memphis. Our Nashville based associates have also assisted with a Mobile Pantry food distribution effort in rural Williamson County. On Friday, September 10 volunteers worked a shift during the 24-hour Hunger Action Month Sort-a-Thon at the Food Bank in Nashville. Nationwide is also hosting a virtual food drive, and we're encouraging you, your friends, and family to participate. Click here to check out the virtual food drive! Nationwide has a long history of supporting community involvement, demonstrated by the corporate donations to nonprofit organizations such as Feeding America. Current economic conditions have made it even more important for us to have active participation from our employees in efforts that improve the lives of people in our community. Nationwide's ON YOUR SIDE is not just a great marketing tag line, it's the way we demonstrate company values. Don't forget to visit www.thirtyways.org to make your way of fighting hunger donating to the Nationwide virtual food drive!

Nationwide

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:02:01 +0000

Agency Spotlight: Clay County Helping Hands

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:00:26 +0000

"Our organization is giving people hope that there is someone who cares when life throws them a curve," exclaimed Donna Smith, chairman of Clay County Helping Hands. This organization had been serving its community for three years now. With the revenue made from the thrift shop, the nonprofit is able to fund a food bank as well as an utilities assistance program. This is amazing that this group is able to fund these two programs when they sell adult garments for just a dollar and children's clothes for 25 cents at their thrift store! Donna noted that many people in her community suffer from unemployment and need a helping hand. "Being able to purchase food from Second Harvest enables us to provide good food in the food boxes even when the demand is great," Donna said. "Second Harvest has also helped secure free cases of food for us and free shelving." With proud and hard working individuals, Donna said that the face of hunger is hard to spot in her community. She said that through the years, she has been able to know and love many of those her organization serves. "Because of Second Harvest, I can show my care by providing when they really need it," Donna said.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:46:42 +0000

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Shop at Stein Mart and Fight Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:00:51 +0000

Stop by Stein Mart on White Bridge Road to pick up your $5 Give and Save coupon. All proceeds come to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Tickets are good for all Stein Mart locations during Stein Mart's Give and Save Charity Days September 23-26.

Agency Spotlight: Greenhouse Ministries

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:00:29 +0000

Those working with Greenhouse Ministries located in Rutherford County have their work cut out for them. In the past three years, the organization has tripled the number of clients served. It served over 18,000 people in 2009 alone! Greenhouse Ministries, which was started in 1999, has also increased its capacity to serve by adding new staff members and volunteers. With Greenhouse Ministries serving so many people in Rutherford, Cannon, Bedford, Davidson, Williamson, and Wilson Counties, they offer diverse services. This organization not only offers a food pantry, which is the entry point for many clients, but they offer clothing, gas vouchers, and adult education classes. Greenhouse Ministries has added new adult education courses, which include parenting, marriage, and guitar classes. Leslie Mertz, Greenhouse Ministries' program director, explained that these classes help people achieve their life goals, help them learn new skills, and/or draw their families closer. Leslie said that Greenhouse Ministries' programs are thoughtfully planned to best accomplish the goal of helping clients become self-sufficient. In regards to the organization's food pantry, Leslie said that Greenhouse Ministries would not be able to connect with their clients without the support of Second Harvest. "Starting with meeting the physical need of the client, the Greenhouse staff and volunteers serve food from the food pantry," Leslie noted. "Then they encourage clients to enroll in adult education classes to meet their own personal life and career goals." Second Harvest is proud to have Greenhouse Ministries as a partner agency and have a group of people that are not only serving Middle Tennessee's hungry but also trying to solve hunger issues through education.

First Harvest Cafe: American Roadhouse

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:40:14 +0000

Join us today for lunch here at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee located in Metro Center in Nashville. We'll give you a tour of our facilities, and you'll enjoy a delicious menu prepared by Chef Mark Rubin and his talented volunteers! Today's Menu: American Road House

Cole Slaw
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Mac & Cheese
Chili Con Carne
With shredded cheese, chopped onions, and sour cream
Home Style Rolls
Pecan bars

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need. Check out our website for upcoming menus or other SHFB of Mid-TN events at www.secondharvestmidtn.org

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Haute Swapping for a Cause

Second Harvest Staff — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 13:00:44 +0000

Haute Swapping for a Cause is an alternative way to "thrift" shop and support the community. Individuals get together and swap items from their closet, participate in the Haute Lounge and silent auction while raising money for a local non-profit organization. This year, the event will be held at the Velocity in the Gulch and will raise money for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TN. There will be food and beverages will be provided by Emeri Pink Moscato and Vitamin Water Zero. We have a number of sponsors including the Downtown Nashville Partnership with its the We Car and HER Nashville. There will also be a booth setup by an upcoming and coming designer to purchase items. The silent auction will include items donated by Nicole Kidman, Baby2B, The Predators, Woo Skincare and Cosmetics , Sephora and more. The Sephora Haute Lounge is sponsored by Cherubim Ink and will feature a new Sephora runway technique, mini makeovers and chair massages by Be Simple Massage. The first 50 ladies to purchase a ticket wil receive a Haute Gift Bag and everyone who brings a canned good will received a ticket to win one of two prizes. This is sure to be a Haute night! This event is open to ladies 21+ ONLY. Clothing drop off will begin at 5 p.m. The event begins promptly at 6 p.m. You may bring up to SIX items to swap including clothing, shoes and purses. Last year, the event was held in Hillsboro Village and supported the YWCA Weaver Domestic Abuse Center. Click here to get more event information.

Food 2 Families

Second Harvest Staff — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 13:00:28 +0000

Food 2 Families kicked off earlier this month, and participating schools in the Nashville area are doing their part to fight hunger. Each year, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partners with News Channel 2, Kroger, Cornerstone Financial and over 40 schools to raise food to help Middle Tennessee’s hungry. Each year, during our Food 2 Families Campaign, we raise over 240,000 pounds of food. The Nashville Predators and the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere provide incentive tickets to help reward students who participate. This school-wide food drive is a great way to teach children to give back to the community as well as feed their hungry neighbors. Second Harvest would like to give a special thanks to our sponsors and the participating schools!

Agency Spotlight: God's Storehouse

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:00:48 +0000

With 10 years of experience and two locations, God's Storehouse has seen the faces of hunger in their community of Lawrenceburg and Waynesboro, TN way too often. Paul Ivey, God's Storehouse's director, said that he, his staff, and volunteers have seen the look of hunger on children's faces, the elderly, and adults. "I see elderly individuals seeking assistance who have a very low income," Paul noted. "I also see those facing long unemployment receiving help." God's Storehouse offers their clients free food and clothing every 30 days and utility and rent assistance once every 12-months. This organization also helps clients pay for their medicine. Paul said God's Storehouse helped about 650 households with food, more than 200 with free clothing, more than 50 individuals with medicine, and close to $10,000 on utilities just in the month of July. "Second Harvest helps us with food on a monthly basis," Paul said. "We're able to host mobile pantries two to three times a year, and we receive food from Middle Tennessee's Table every two weeks. Second Harvest offers us good advice, suggestions, and support in order for us to fulfill our mission."

Skip Lunch

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:00:03 +0000

Instead of going out to lunch today, ask your coworkers to bring a lunch from home and donate the money they would have spent to Second Harvest Food Bank. At Second Harvest, $1 helps us provide 4 meals to children and families who otherwise would have to go without. Make sure to sign up for your way at www.thirtyways.org!

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Get Your Tickets to Stars for Second Harvest

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:00:44 +0000

Join us for a night at the Ryman with a concert hosted by Henry Cho & Craig Wiseman. Concert-goers will enjoy a songwriter round with Mac McAnally, Craig Wiseman & Tony Mullins. Some of the performing musicians are Uncle Kracker, Sam & Ruby, Chris Young, and Josh Thompson. This should be a wonderful night of music to benefit Second Harvest. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster for $35 or call Second Harvest to purchase VIP tickets for $50 at 615-627-1565. Click here to purchase your VIP tickets online.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 23:07:24 +0000

Family Night

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:00:00 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1286" align="alignright" width="300" caption="This little one suited up to take a tour of the Food Bank's freezer!"][/caption] Every Thursday night is Family Night at Second Harvest Food Bank. This provides an opportunity for junior volunteers (age 6 and up) and their family members/guardians to work together to give back to our community. Family Nights provide an opportunity to learn more about hunger issues followed by sorting food for Second Harvest's Emergency Food Box Program or packing backpacks for the Children's Backpack Program. Sign up online at www.hon.org.

Craig Wiseman Hosts Stars for Second Harvest

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:00:29 +0000

Make sure to purchase your tickets to Stars for Second Harvest for September 28th at The Ryman Auditorim before it's too late! Click here to buy yours today.

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:06:42 +0000

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Shop for a Cause

Second Harvest Staff — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 13:00:07 +0000

Join Macy’s in support of Second Harvest, Feeding America, and Hunger Action Month. Feeding America will be a beneficiary of Macy’s 5th annual Shop for a Cause fundraising event on October 16, 2010. Shop for a Cause passes are available at any Macy’s store for $5.00 from September 1 – October 16. On October 16, the shopping pass entitles Macy’s guests to exclusive 20% (or 10%) savings* in most departments all day long plus an additional 25% off a single purchase. Shop for a Cause passes are valid in store and online. A portion of all Shop for a Cause passes sold will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

Live on a Food Stamp Budget For One Week

Second Harvest Staff — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 13:00:09 +0000

September 26 - Live on Less For one week, live on a food stamp budget. Try and stretch those dollars to feed yourself and your family healthy, nutritious meals. It's harder than you might think. When the week is over, send us an email and let us know about your experience.

Small Actions, Big Changes

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:00:57 +0000

Guest blog by Monica Romero, Director of Marketing at Vietti Chili At Vietti Chili, we are longtime supporters of Second Harvest’s efforts to fight hunger in our area, and honored to be corporate partners in Hunger Action Month. However, during these 30 days, the lasting difference will truly come in at the personal level—starting with a few simple choices. Hunger Action Month is about individuals like you and me getting into the habit of taking small actions that, in turn, lead to significant changes. We are creatures of habit, and just as we’ve learned when making New Year’s Resolutions (yet again), no action becomes habitual unless we exercise it often. Second Harvest has made it utterly simple for us to do just that, to make action against hunger both practical and feasible for anyone. In a nutshell, all it takes is for you to:

Choose one action.
Do it today. (Instead of setting an intention to do it later.)
Pencil it in. Make it a part of your routine on a weekly or monthly basis.
Pass it on. Mention it to a family member or friend, tweet about it, make it a shared activity, or prompt others to take action.

Your action of choice can be as simple as a tweet or picking up an extra can of Vietti to donate on your next trip to the grocery store. These are examples of things you can do year-round and also turn into a practice. A big thank you to Second Harvest from Nashville’s own Vietti Chili, for giving us a blueprint to give back to our community, both as individuals and organizations.

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:32:03 +0000

Stars For Second Harvest is Tonight at The Ryman

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:00:28 +0000

If you're looking for a night of entertainment and awesome music, look no further. Join us tonight at 7:30 p.m. The Ryman Auditorium as Craig Wiseman hosts the 6th annual Stars for Second Harvest benefit. The concert will feature an unplugged acoustic style performance by some of music’s brightest stars including Uncle Kracker, Chris Young, Josh Thompson, Sam & Ruby, esteemed songwriters Mac McAnally and Tony Mullins and comedian Henry Cho. Sponsored by O’Charley’s, the evening will help raise awareness of hunger issues in the Nashville community and will close out the food bank’s four-week run of activities in recognition of September as Hunger Action month. Purchase $35 tickets now at ticketmaster.com or contact Leigh Clark for VIP seating at 615-329-3491.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:53:29 +0000

Stars for Second Harvest Recap

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 01:06:25 +0000

Last Chance to Take the Pledge

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:00:16 +0000

Today marks the last day of Hunger Action Month! You can still participate by taking the Hunger Action Month pledge to help us win a truckload of food from Feeding America. Click here to sign the pledge. We would like to thank all of our Hunger Action Month sponsors, which are Kroger, Nationwide Insurance, Vietti Chili, Dollar General, Wal-Mart, and WSMV Channel 4, for being great supporters of the Food Bank and for believing in the mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community. We appreciate everyone who joined us in the effort to fight hunger and feed hope!

First Harvest Cafe: Tuscan Holiday

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:00:15 +0000

First Harvest Café is every Friday in the Culinary Arts Center at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, 331 Great Circle Road, in MetroCenter from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This Friday‘s Lunch: Tuscan Holiday

Panzanella with Smiley’s Farm Tennessee Tomatoes
Angel Hair Pasta w/ Swiss Chard, Golden Raisins, and Pine nuts
Spaghetti alla Meatballs and Nancy’s Famous Winter Red
Chicken Parmigiana
Homemade Tiramisu

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

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Feeding People Through Music

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:50:26 +0000

If you're heading to the Ryman Auditorium tonight, tomorrow, or Wednesday night to listen to Widespread Panic, don't forget to bring your canned goods to the concert. Widespread Panic has been collecting food donations and giving them to local food banks at their shows throughout the country. Second Harvest welcomes Widespread Panic to Nashville and hopes their three-concert series will be their best yet, especially since it's their first time to perform at the Ryman, the mother church of country music. We thank them most for helping us feed hungry people in our Middle Tennessee community. Here are some of our most needed items:

Peanut Butter
Baby Food
Canned Meat
Canned Vegetables
Canned Fruit
Mac N Cheese
Cereal

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:52:07 +0000

BarCamp Nashville To Host Food Drive

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:00:32 +0000

-Guest Blog by Dave Delaney, co-founder of BarCamp Nashville and PodCamp Nashville BarCamp Nashville is a community event for our community by our community. While we're busy feeding ourselves with plenty of information and refreshments, those coordinating BarCamp felt it was important to also remember those less fortunate. We've teamed up with Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee for a BarCamp food drive. Essential items include peanut butter, canned tuna, canned fruits, rice, beans, cereal, baby food, macaroni and cheese, and canned vegetables, or other canned meats. We're hoping those attending the unconference will bring LOTS of it! If each person brings just one item to this FREE unconference, that will be approximately 600 total, but you're welcome to bring as many as you like (please). By feeding Middle Tennessee's hungry we're feeding our future. We thank you in advance for your kind contributions, consider it a small price to pay for an incredible FREE day of awesomeness. :) Thanks for your support. Click here to find out more information about BarCamp Nashville. More info about Dave: He's also founder of GeekBreakfast.org and Nashcocktail.com. Dave is a community enthusiast, social media strategist (one of the good ones), and a marketing and promotions fella. He blogs regularly about social media, marketing and his digital life at www.davemadethat.com. Dave has written over 28,000 Twitter tweets since Feb. 2007 - he needs to get a life.

Harvest Moon Ball

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:12:09 +0000

Join us on October 29th at the Hutton Hotel from 7 to 11 p.m. for this casual chic party with great food, fabulous wines, wonderful music from Burning Las Vegas. The night's events will also include a large silent auction, and everything will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. Event chairs are Fletcher Foster, Sylvia Roberts, and Melody Telfer. The Harvest Moon Ball has been the largest fundraiser for the Food Bank raising over $250,000 to feed hungry Middle Tennesseans. Sponsorship opportunities are available, or individual tickets can be purchased for $250 by calling 615-627-1565.

First Harvest Cafe: French Cruise (October 8th)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:00:21 +0000

This Friday‘s Lunch: French Cruise

Spinach Salad Tossed with Purple Onions and Bacon (or Pinenuts)
Sautéed Vegetables
Egg Noodles
Chicken Dijonnaise
“Boeuf” Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy)
Strawberry Rhubarb Calfouti

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

What do you think? Should Bloomberg Ban the Purchase of Soda with Food Stamps?

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:00:08 +0000

If you haven't heard, New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, wants to ban purchasing soda with food stamps. Statistics of 2008 from New York's health department showed that about 40 percent of the City's children were overweight. The New York Times wrote, "The request, made to the United States Department of Agriculture, which finances and sets the rules for the food-stamp program, is part of an aggressive anti-obesity push by the mayor that has also included advertisements, stricter rules on food sold in schools and an unsuccessful attempt to have the state impose a tax on the sugared drinks." Some experts believe that this could lead to a healthier lifestyle while others feel it could stigmatize families when their right to choose what they purchase is taken away. We want to know what you think about Bloomberg's proposal. Please leave your comments and thoughts. Please view the articles in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal to get more background.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:19:43 +0000

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Logan’s Nashville Commu-NUTTY Outreach Benefits Second Harvest Food Bank

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:00:13 +0000

- Guest Blog by Chastity Myers-Fox, Sr. Director of Marketing at Logan's Roadhouse As a casual dining steakhouse chain, we proudly serve high quality craveable food to communities throughout the country. Every day we are striving to bring to life our company values in a way that positively impacts our team members, guests and communities. And, we’re simply “nuts” about Middle Tennessee. We have a heavy concentration of restaurants in the region and our headquarters are right here in Nashville. When we decided to put together a kickin’ concert to raise money and give back to neighborhoods that support us, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee seemed to be a natural extension of our business. On Sunday, October 24, at The Woods at The Fontanel, Logan’s is excited to present a kickin’ night of great country music by Montgomery Gentry, Gretchen Wilson and John Rich. All proceeds from ticket sales go directly to Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee and the mission to help provide high quality meals to our hungry neighbors.

First Harvest Cafe: Caribbean (October 15)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:00:55 +0000

Today's Menu: Caribbean Get Away

Caribbean Spinach Salad
Sweet Potatoes Island Style
Jerk Chicken
Jerk Pork Loin
Johnny Cakes
Black Beans and Rice
Jamaican Ginger Bread

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch. Help Second Harvest feed hungry people in need.

Yes You Can!

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:00:10 +0000

Today starts a week of food drive discussions, and you will see a different article posted each day. Food Drive donations help sustain Second Harvest's Emergency Food Box Program in Davidson County and restocks depleting food pantry’s shelves for our Community Food Partners. In our journey to fulfill our mission, food drives not only provide well over one million meals for our community's hungry, but they also build awareness to the general public in understanding what Second Harvest does and what we are striving to solve. One in eight Tennesseans are at risk of hunger. Due to the flood as well as our counties' economic situation, Second Harvest Food Bank has seen a 40 percent increase in our 17 Emergency Food Box locations in Davidson County since this time last year. While these are mere numbers, these statistics have faces and names. They are our neighbors. They are people we work, and they are our friends. It is our mission to help these people and we cannot do this alone. Help make a difference and consider hosting a food drive today, please click here.

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:37:32 +0000

Give Hunger a Beet Down

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:00:04 +0000

I want you to think about this for a moment... If you were a can of beets and someone was hosting a beet food drive on your behalf, how would you like to shine during your five minutes of fame? Would you like people to hold a beat box competition to promote the event, or would you want the food drive organizers to come up with a catchy slogan like "Give Hunger a Beet Down" to rally their friends and co-workers? Either way, both suggestions could be engaging if the right energy was put into it. You may not host a beet food drive because beets aren't too tasty in my opinion, but you can sure come up with some cool play on words if you did. My point is that creativity helps people get involved. Having the desire to host a food drive is always a good thing, and we want to share some ideas that could be used during the promotion and execution of your event. There's no better way to illustrate innovative thoughts than to show examples of what some other food drive organizers have done.

I'd like to introduce you to Juice Box and Creamed Corn. Ingram Publishing Services created this video to promote their virtual food drive right after May's Flood.

For those of you looking for fun ways to excite conference guests, every year the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association has a series of competitions. Some of these contests include those who can make the bed the fastest, how many roles of toilet paper can one shoot through a basketball hoop in a minute, etc. Among all their games, this group includes a food drive each year, and restaurants and hotels compete to see who can bring in the most food. If you have a group that likes healthy competition, this could be a good one.
For those of you looking to host a food drive at an event, Widespread Panic came to Nashville and did a three-day food drive during their shows at the Ryman. This past spring the Goo Goo Dolls also hosted a food drive during their show at the Ryman, and the fan who brought in the most donations won a meet and greet. If you're a wannabe groupie, I suggest you start your can collection!
Food drives can be a great way for groups and companies to perform a little team building. Central Parking has a tradition of doing their food drive and building something along with it. Here are some of those structures this group has built:

The final creative food drive idea to make our list comes from the Office of Emergency Management. Every year during the Holidays, OEM has a Fill-the-Boat Campaign. This group parks a boat in front of a local grocery store, and they literally fill up the boat with canned food by encouraging grocery shoppers to buy a few extra cans.

If you have some fun, wacky, creative ideas to share about a food drive that you've held or want to hold, please let us know by leaving your comments!

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 21:44:57 +0000

Virtual Food Drive

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:00:17 +0000

Would you like to host a food drive without the hassle of lifting heavy canned goods? We understand that it can be hard to remember to buy extra goods for your food drive, and dealing with the logistics of the donated food once your drive is over can be quite cumbersome as well. We have a simple solution—our VIRTUAL FOOD DRIVE. Second Harvest can customize a site to fit with your company/church/civic organizations brand and coloring using your own logo. We generate a link where you can promote and distribute it using electronic communication such as: emails, eblasts, Facebook, and Twitter. The virtual food drive website is basically an online shopping tool where a donor can pick and choose what non-perishable items they wish to donate. Once the purchasing process is completed the donor receives a receipt that can be included in your tax return as a deduction. This form of donation can also be used in fun completion. We can actually create a drop down list where we can put department, floor number or team name. We can also send you weekly updates to see how your teams are doing. BarCamp Nashville, a local tech group, is currently hosting a virtual food drive. Please click here to view their virtual food drive, and feel free to donate. With our purchasing power, we're able to provide four meals for just one dollar, and this donation is tax deductible.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:53:30 +0000

Hunger Lives Here

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:19:44 +0000

Hunger is a reality for many Americans, even in our own backyards. People in every community face the risk of going hungry - food may not be available for one meal, several meals or even longer (measured by a statistic called "food insecurity"). Most recently, Second Harvest Food Bank surveyed our Community Food Partners and the results are staggering – 55 percent of the agencies reported an increase in first time users and requests for food assistance has increased 25 percent throughout our 46-county service area. In addition, there has been a 40 percent increase in emergency food assistance just in Davidson County compared to this time last year. Linda Finnegan, East Nashville Cooperative Ministry's director of operations, said that the people that she helps has almost doubled in the four years she has worked there. "I used to do 20 to 25 boxes a day, and now I'm up to 35 to 40 boxes a day, and that's near the beginning of the month," Finnegan exclaimed. "At the end of the month, it's not abnormal to distribute 40 to 50 boxes in one day." With such a large increase in individuals and families needing help, the Food Bank needs your support now more than ever to help off set the increased need for food resources, labor and distribution expenses. Chris Cochran, Second Harvest's Lead Agency Relations Manager, argues that not only are more people needing this food – they are needing other means of assistance and our Community Food Partners have become the central point for reaching out into the community. Our staff is committed to meeting the needs of this community, but we cannot do it alone. You can help by organizing a food drive, donating non perishable food items at your local grocery store or by making a donation online. Every donated food item, every dollar and every volunteer makes a difference in the lives of our hungry neighbors. Together, we can fight hunger and feed hope.

East Nashville Cooperative Ministry

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:00:27 +0000

Second Harvest Lead Agency Relations Manager Chris Cochran talks with Linda Finnegan of East Nashville Cooperative Ministry about how the need for emergency food assistance has increased over the past four years in her community. There are three ways you can help us with this increase. You can volunteer, host a food drive, and/or donate.

What Happens To Your Cans After Your Food Drive?

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:00:58 +0000

Watch this video to see how each can that is donated goes to help someone in need. Start your own food drive today!

First Harvest Cafe: Cajun Salute (October 22)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:00:48 +0000

This Friday‘s Lunch: Cajun Salute

Spinach Salad
Chicken Etouffeè
Shrimp, Okra and Andouille Smoked Sausage Gumbo
Rice
Green Beans Almondine
Bourbon Street Bread Pudding

For $12 per person (tax included,) you receive a great lunch and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Ms. Cheap's Penny Drive

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:00:59 +0000

Let Her Shine

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:00:28 +0000

Laurel Cunningham, an 8th grade Harpeth Hall student, is out to change the world with Shine, a T-shirt business she started. She donates 100 percent of her sales to Second Harvest's BackPack program. The BackPack program allows children to have food over the weekend who would otherwise go hungry.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:16:17 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:30:59 +0000

Together We Grow Wraps Up

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:00:10 +0000

-Guest Blog by Josh Corlew, Together We Grow coordinator [caption id="attachment_1482" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Rebekah Jacques and Josh Corlew taught their final Together We Grow class at Edgehill Center for the year.."][/caption] This past growing season has been one of my favorites of all time. In the "Together We Grow" program I worked with Kids Cafe at three locations: Edgehill Center, Youth Encouragement Services, and the Rutherford County Boys & Girls Club. We had a weekly lesson on gardening and nutrition, and at each location, there was a set of buckets in which the kids planted their own food. In these bucket gardens we grew tomatoes, kale, spinach, cilantro, radishes, carrots, and chard. But beyond that, I saw something even more incredible growing: an interest and knowledge about healthy food in the kids that participated. This year, as we watched our plants growing in buckets, we learned about the basic parts of a plant and how they function. We learned some big words like 'germination' and 'photosynthesis.' The kids also learned about the importance of soil health and how to recycle food by making compost with a balance of nitrogen and carbon. And by far, everyone's favorite part was getting to eat and take home the food that they grew themselves! I am so proud that Second Harvest is supporting programs like this and strive to teach this upcoming generation about the importance of the quality of food we eat, not just the quantity. This year's pilot program, Together We Grow, wraps up for the year. Some of our Kids Cafe students discuss their favorite parts of the program, and we want to give a big thank you to Tractor Supply Co. This program could not have been possible without their support.

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Get Your Dancing Shoes Ready

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:00:23 +0000

Burning Las Vegas will have you moving your feet on the dance floor at tomorrow night's Harvest Moon Ball! This event is the largest fundraiser for the Food Bank raising over $250,000 to feed hungry Middle Tennesseans. Join us at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 29, at the Hutton Hotel for this casual chic party with great food, fabulous wines, wonderful music from Burning Las Vegas and a large silent auction all to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. Event chairs are Fletcher Foster, Sylvia Roberts, and Melody Telfer. There are a limited number of tickets available $250 by calling 615-627-1565. If you've never been to the Harvest Moon Ball, see the pictures below and imagine the fun you could have.

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:30:34 +0000

First Harvest Cafe: American Roadhouse (October 29)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:00:58 +0000

Last of the Smiley Farms Tomatoes
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Mac & Cheese
Yellow Squash Casserole
Chili Con Carne with shredded cheese, chopped onions, and sour cream
Home Style Rolls
Brownies

Feeding Hope Challenge: Help Us Raise 8 Million Meals

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:00:59 +0000

- Guest Blog by Jaynee K. Day, Second Harvest President and CEO Every year my family gathers in our dining room, patiently waiting to savor the tastes and aromas of the traditional holiday feast. Meanwhile, in homes, workplaces and schools across the country, millions of Americans don’t know where they’ll find their next meal. An astonishing one in six Americans live on the edge of hunger—and in a suffering economy, these numbers will only grow. Hunger in America is real and pervasive—from inner-city neighborhoods to rural towns, as well as suburban communities of all appearances. As you know, people facing hunger have homes, jobs and families. They are coworkers, relatives and old friends, brought to the crossroads by lost jobs, low wages, unexpected medical expenses, and the rising costs of fuel and food. Our recent Hunger Study report stated that 28 percent of Second Harvest’s clients have one or more working adults in the household. In addition, more than 30 percent of our clients report having to choose between food, rent, utilities, medical expenses and transportation. Children and older Americans are especially vulnerable. An appalling 1 in 5 children in Tennessee live in households without consistent access to food—and many more are able to eat only because their parents go without. At the same time, millions of seniors quietly struggle with hunger amid a combination of fixed incomes and health care expenses. With bare cupboards and no money for food, the holidays can be a time of pain and humiliation for those who worry about the source of their next meal. For more than 30 years, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and our Community Food Partners have given sustenance, security and hope to hungry people in our community. As a member of the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, Feeding America, Second Harvest has a unique capacity—and responsibility—to meet the challenge of hunger in our community. You can help. Join the Feeding Hope Challenge and provide 8 million meals to hungry men, women and children. Each dollar donated provides 4 meals due to our ability to manufacture food, buy in bulk and partner with food distributors and wholesalers. With your participation and support, you are giving hope this holiday season. Together, we can fight hunger and feed hope.

Mars Employees Help Fight Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:00:15 +0000

Mars Petcare employees do more than make a happier world for pets. They also want take a stand against hunger in America. They have been volunteering throughout the month of October at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in Metro Center. Angel May, Pedigree Foundation and Mars Petcare's community affairs manager, said that feeding the hungry is one the company's core areas of focus when giving back to the community, especially where their associates live and work. Feeding America is a national partner across all Mars, Inc. businesses in North America. Angel hoped that this volunteer effort will be the start of a long-term relationship with Feeding America and Second Harvest. Those at Mars said they were honored to work with Second Harvest, and their volunteers have an understanding that food is a basic need. Angel realized that it's the most important need in order to function well in other areas life. "It's heart-breaking to know that some families struggle to provide that very basic and essential need," Angel said. "Knowing that we are supporting this need gives us a sense of pride as we are fortunate in our lives." Angel said she hoped the Mars employees would take a sense of passion and pride in their volunteer efforts because they are making a collective impact in one of their three areas of focus:

Caring for Pets, especially those in shelters
Sustaining the environment - especially where pets are welcome
Feeding the Hungry - particularly those with pets

Mars Volunteer Program (MVP Month) has made a huge impact on Second Harvest's efficiency. Meghan Markie, Second Harvest's volunteer services manager, said, "With their help, we are ahead of the game heading into one of our busiest seasons at the food bank. We love Mars volunteers!"

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:36:10 +0000

Kids Cafe Toy Drive

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:00:21 +0000

Make your holiday season even more special this year by giving toys to children in need. The Renaissance Nashville Hotel is hosting the 15th Annual Kids Cafe Holiday Party, and we need toys! Each participating child will receive a bag of toys at the end of the party. For some children, it will be the only holiday gift they receive. Second Harvest provides Kids Cafe meals to these children year round, and we want to ensure they have a happy holiday season as well. We are collecting toys for boys and girls ages 5 to 10. Suggested toys include games, sports balls, dolls, trucks, crayons, and coloring books. There is no need to wrap the toys; we’ll take care of that. Please drop off toys at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel, located at 611 Commerce Street, by December 9. Valets will take your donation at the curb.

Celebrate Music City

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:00:22 +0000

Gaylord will celebrate the spirit of Nashville with a community fundraising concert in honor of the tens of thousands of volunteers who took to the streets to help their neighbors after the unprecedented flooding that swept through the city last May. Country stars Trace Adkins and Craig Morgan will headline the event, which is part of the Grand Reopening festivities at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in the Delta Ballroom, and concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. This concert benefits Hands on Nashville, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, and Nashville Area Red Cross. Click here to purchase tickets.

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:31:30 +0000

First Harvest Cafe: Santa Fe Chuck Wagon (Nov. 5)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:00:58 +0000

This Friday‘s Lunch: Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet

House Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Sautéed Green and Red Peppers with Sautéed Onions
Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Dry Rubbed Grilled Flank Steak
Vegetarian Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)
Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream, and Shredded Cheese
Mexican Rice
Nachos
Key Lime Bars

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch. Help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Help Raise Eight Million Meals

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:00:03 +0000

Feeding Hope Challenge is well under way, and we need your help to raise eight million meals for our hungry neighbors in Middle and West Tennessee. Below you will find a few ideas that you can do to feed hope in your community. BROWN BAG LUNCH DAY (OR WEEK). Encourage co-workers, students, friends and family to bring a brown bag lunch for a day (or a week) and donate the money saved to the Food Bank. SET AN EMPTY PLATE AT YOUR FAMILY GATHERING. This is an easy way to share hunger issues with your family. For your next family gathering or meal, set an extra place at your table – and leave the plate empty. Let this be a reminder to everyone at the table that while you are fortunate to have the food you need, there are those going hungry and those who are at risk of hunger, and now is the time to take action and help fill those empty plates in our community. HOST A DINNER PARTY. Host a Holiday Potluck or Dinner Party at your hone and ask your guests to bring non-perishable food donations or financial donations for the Food Bank instead of hostess gifts. ADOPT A COMMUNITY FOOD PARTNER. Contact the Food Bank and ask for your local Community Food Partner contact information and help them prepare for the holidays by volunteering to stock shelves, prepare emergency food boxes and assist with clients during the busiest time of the year. VOLUNTEER AS A FAMILY. Contact volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org and sign up to pack BackPacks for hungry children on Family Night hosted at the Food Bank every Thursday night from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. CHECK THE COUCH FOR LOOSE CHANGE. Contact the Food Bank for a Penny Bank or Create Your Own Penny Bank and donate your loose change to Ms. Cheap’s Annual Penny Drive Campaign. For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can provide four meals to hungry men, women and children. Donations accepted at Avenue Bank locations, The Tennessean, The Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro and at Second Harvest Food Bank in Metro Center. MAKING HOLIDAY COOKIES? HOST A BAKE SALE! Bake and package your favorite holiday cookies and send a cookie cart around your office in the morning or afternoon. Other ideas? Candy Bar, Popcorn, Ice Cream Social, Doughnuts & Coffee or Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches. PEANUT BUTTER CHALLENGE! Help collect one of our most needed items by creating a “smooth” versus “chunky” peanut butter drive. Teams compete to see who can raise the most of their variety. BAG HUNGER. Provide paper or reusable bags with a list of most needed food donations to your students, coworkers or congregation and ask them to fill the bag with groceries. CANSTRUCTION! Encourage your group to form teams and build structures using the most needed food items. Teams can earn prizes for the most creative or original structure. TUNA TUESDAY, FRUIT FRIDAY… Collect most needed food items by highlighting one each day of the week. HOST A DENIM/JEANS DAY. Allow employees who make a contribution to Second Harvest to wear jeans or casual attire for a day. Raise even more money by selling a Casual Day Pass which allows employees the chance to dress casual several times throughout the campaign/year. TAKE A TOUR, EAT LUNCH. Stop by the Food Bank on Fridays and enjoy an all-you-can-enjoy meal at First Harvest Café – prepared by Chef Mark Rubin and his wonderful volunteers. While you are there, ask for a Food Bank Tour and learn more about our programs and your impact. DOES YOUR COMPANY MATCH GIFTS? Find out if Second Harvest Food Bank donations qualify for a match and encourage employees to use this benefit to maximize your contributions. GO VIRTUAL! Visit our website and make a donation online using our Virtual Food Drive program. You can purchase as an individual or you can register a team of people to help raise food and funds for Second Harvest during our campaign. For every dollar donated, we are able to provide four meals to hungry men, women and children. TELL SOMEBODY. TODAY. Use your online network to help raise awareness of hunger issues and your involvement by sharing your efforts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also follow/like us on each of the networking sites by searching for “Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee” or “2HarvestMidTn.” STAY INFORMED. Join our Food Fight E-Newsletter at www.secondharvestmidtn.org where you can also catch up on all Food Bank related news by reading our daily blog.

Family Celebrates By Volunteering

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:00:56 +0000

Terry and Julie Bulger celebrated the 10-year anniversary of adopting their two high school daughters at Second Harvest. We're thrilled that the Bulger's spent their happy day volunteering and giving back to the community. You can also volunteer as a family. Contact volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org and sign up to pack BackPacks for hungry children on Family Night hosted at the Food Bank every Thursday night from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Emergency Food Box at Martha O'Bryan Center Sees Increase

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:00:31 +0000

Keenan at the Martha O'Bryan Center discussed how he has seen an increase in emergency food assistance in the Center's Emergency Food Box. He has found that more people have trouble accessing quality produce, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. The Martha O'Bryan Center is Second Harvest's largest Emergency Food Box site in Nashville.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:42:51 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:43:26 +0000

Titans, Predators, and Second Harvest Team Up

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:00:44 +0000

Are you going to see the Predators take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, November 13? What about watching the Titans game on TV as they play the Miami Dolphins? Maybe you're going to do both. You have two chances to support Second Harvest over the weekend. As the Preds bring the heat and try to get revenge on the Blackhawks for putting them out of the Stanley Cup finals last season, we hope you will help us fight hunger. Please bring non-perishable food items to Bridgestone Arena Saturday night. Food donations will be taken at the Arena's entrances. If you're not attending the Predators game or you want to watch the Titans game with friends, we invite you and all your friends to join us for the Ultimate Titans Tailgate on Sunday, November 14. The event will take place at the Tin Roof in Cool Springs as well as the original Tin Roof on Demonbreun in Nashville. The Junior Chamber and Second Harvest have paired up to host the Ultimate Titan’s Tailgate and Food Drive. In order to enjoy the party, you must bring five canned goods as your entry fee. Your name will be entered into a raffle for prizes. The person with the largest non-perishable donation will win tickets to the Titans vs. Redskins game on November 21st. Titan up! Remember these food donations provide food for our Emergency Food Boxes. If you can't make it to either event, you can host your own food drive with your church, friends, school, or office. Hosting a virtual food drive is also an option. Visit our website and make a donation online using our Virtual Food Drive program. You can purchase as an individual, or you can register a team of people to help raise food and funds for Second Harvest during our campaign. For every dollar donated, we are able to provide meals to hungry men, women, and children.

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:05:13 +0000

First Harvest Cafe: Tuscan Holiday (Nov. 12)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:00:13 +0000

This Friday‘s Lunch: Tuscan Holida

Panzanella Salad (Tuscan Bread—Tomato Salad)
Chicken Piccata or Chicken Marsala
Beef and Spinach Cannelloni
Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce
Asiago Bread
Tiramisu

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch. Help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need. TAKE A TOUR, EAT LUNCH. When you stop by the Food Bank Fridays to enjoy Chef Mark and his wonderful volunteers' all-you-can-enjoy meal at First Harvest Café, ask for a Food Bank Tour and learn more about our programs and your impact.

Shea Weber Makes a Power Play for Second Harvest

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:00:24 +0000

Bring your non-perishable food items to Bridgestone Arena to watch the Nashville Predators take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, November 13th. Please call Travis Laufle at – (615)770-2352 to purchase tickets to the game. Part of the proceeds will go back to Second Harvest Food Bank, or view the discount coupon.

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 22:53:05 +0000

Harvest for America Food Drive

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:00:16 +0000

Tractor Supply and Carhartt have paired with the Future Farmers of America (FFA) to collect food for those in need. FFA chapters will be collecting perishable and non-perishable food throughout the community, including your local Tractor Supply Company (TSC) store. This food drive campaign has been going strong since September, and there are three months left for you and your FFA chapter to get involved to raise food for hungry Middle Tennesseans. La Vergne High School's FFA has raised the most food thus far with a whopping 12,248 pounds. Harvest for America is a way for FFA students and alumni to serve their community and to contribute toward helping those who are food insecure. Are you interested in hosting your own food drive? You could create your own competition such as the peanut butter challenge to help collect one of our most needed items. This could be a contest between the “smooth” versus “chunky” peanut butter, and teams compete to see who can raise the most of their variety. Click here to sign up to host a food drive.

Operation Stand Down Volunteers During Veterans Day

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:00:01 +0000

Colonel Bill Burleigh and Mary Ross celebrate Veteran's Day with Operation Stand Down by volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:30:06 +0000

I Was Like Wow!

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:00:15 +0000

Marcus Millhouse, Second Harvest's Transportation Coordinator, explains what makes working for Second Harvest a special experience.

TITANS HOST LARGEST NFL FOOD DRIVE

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:00:12 +0000

The Tennessee Titans have teamed up again with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee for the annual food drive as they take on the Washington Redskins on Sunday, November 21st. The Titans and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee are challenging Titans fans to donate non perishable food donations during the largest NFL food drive to help meet the increased demand for food assistance in our community. Donations will be accepted by Second Harvest Food Bank at the Game Day Drive Collection Points at LP Field at 10:00 am when the gates open to LP Field until kick off. “If every fan attending the game donates at least one pound of non perishable food, then Titans fans will raise 68,000 pounds of food that will result in thousands of meals for hungry families in Middle Tennessee,” said Jaynee Day, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Non perishable donations needed most include: canned tuna or chicken peanut butter canned vegetables canned fruit macaroni & cheese cereal “Our fans have always been generous when donating to our community drives and we are confident that they will do so in this time of need” stated Bob Hyde, Vice President of Community Relations of the Tennessee Titans. “We can all make a difference and our community needs our support now more than ever.” Organized in 1978, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is a private, not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization. The Food Bank’s mission is to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community. For more information on Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and its programs, please visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org

First Harvest Cafe: French Cruise (November 19)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:00:57 +0000

This Friday‘s Lunch: French Cruise

Spinach Salad Tossed with Purple Onions and Bacon (or Pinenuts)
Sautéed Vegetables
Egg Noodles
Chicken Veronique
“Boeuf” Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy)
Éclairs

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Second Harvest Feeds Hope

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:00:42 +0000

Tiawanna Winston, a single mother, receives food assistance to feed her five children at Second Harvest's Emergency Food Box at the Martha O'Bryan Center. She feels relieved that Second Harvest and the Martha O'Bryan Center are willing to help her when she has difficulty making ends meet. Please participate in the Feeding Hope Challenge to help supply 8 million meals to other Middle Tennesseans in need.

Mayor Dean and Governor Bredesen Raise More Than 52,000 LBS For Second Harvest

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:00:07 +0000

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen takes the challenge from Mayor Karl Dean to participate in the Metro Food Fight to collect non-perishable items through food drives. This food drive was initiated by Impact Nashville, and Mayor Dean and Governor Bredesen, in conjunction with their respective offices, raised more than 52,000 pounds of food for Middle and West Tennessee's hungry! Would you like to participate in Impact Nashville's virtual food drive? It's easy, and remember, one dollar provides four meals for men, women, and children in Middle and West Tennessee. Help us raise 8 million meals this holiday season.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 22:49:03 +0000

Kids Cafe Children Receive Nutritional Guidance

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:00:24 +0000

-Guest blog by Rebekah Jacques, Second Harvest Nutrition Manager [caption id="attachment_1611" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Rebekah teaches nutritional lessons at our Kids Cafe locations"][/caption] At our Kids Cafe sites this fall, we have been discussing the different food groups found within MyPyramid. Each class period, we focus on a different color in the pyramid with the objective that the children will have a better understanding of what foods belong in each group as well as what benefits the different foods provide for their bodies. Once I give the nutritional lessons, they are concluded with a healthy snack. Sometimes the goal is to create easy, healthy snacks with foods the children might already have at home enabling them to duplicate the snack. On other occasions, we take the opportunity to introduce foods that may be new. A chorus of objections usually ensues at the thought of trying something green or healthy looking. For example, the children tried breakfast burritos at one of our sites this week. At first the thought of green peppers and mushrooms in scrambled eggs served in a tortilla was repulsive to them. All I ever ask is that they take one bite before voicing if they do or do not like what is being served. Most of the children were delighted to find the burritos to be quite delicious and almost all asked for seconds. For families with young children, Thanksgiving might be a great time to introduce some new foods. Research shows children typically have to try new foods multiple times before they truly know if they like or dislike a food, so don’t get discouraged if your child does not think he or she likes something after a first try. Most importantly, let’s all remember to be thankful for the food we have on our tables this holiday season whether old favorites or something new.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:25:09 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:25:30 +0000

Titans Linebacker Provides Meals to Needy Families for Thanksgiving

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:00:59 +0000

Tennessee Titan Stephen Tulloch and Second Harvest Food Bank will host a Thanksgiving Feast today for the children and families of Backfield in Motion, a nonprofit organization servicing children from economically disadvantaged households within the Metropolitan Nashville area. The Stephen Tulloch Foundation’s mission is to provide underprivileged children the same opportunities as other children. The goal is to supply these youth with the essentials to build self-esteem and the ability to achieve their goals and unlock their full potential. For more information on the foundation, visit www.tulloch55.com.

Give the Gift of Food

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:00:55 +0000

Second Harvest President and CEO Jaynee Day challenges you to participate in this year's Feeding Hope Challenge to raise 8 million meals for Middle Tennessee's hungry. Host a Food Drive, Volunteer, or Donate to help us reach our goal.

Justin Bradford Got the Call. Will you?

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:00:14 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1474" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Justin Bradford, Second Harvest Volunteer Leader"][/caption] With Thanksgiving in a couple of days, many are getting ready to spend the holiday with their family and share thanks. While there has always been something about the holidays that encourages the spirit of giving, Justin Bradford, a devoted Second Harvest volunteer leader, has been sharing his generous spirit since May's Flood because he said he felt the call to volunteer. "I had helped in a lot of the clean-up efforts around the city, but I needed something more," Justin noted. "I didn't want to be involved just for a few days, but I wanted to be able to continue my contribution for many more weeks and months to come. I signed up for a food-sorting shift the Tuesday after the flood and was instantly hooked!" Justin said that his favorite part of fighting hunger was that he knew the work he and his fellow volunteers have been doing directly affect those in need. He believed that no one in the United States should ever have to fear hunger, but reality was that they do. Justin has had a passion to help alleviate that fear in the Middle Tennessee community, and this passion has driven him to be a volunteer leader at Second Harvest. Justin also said he loved that he was meeting new people from all over the country when he has donated his time at the Food Bank. "Each week we have multiple groups coming in, and you really get a chance to meet folks from all over the country," Justin exclaimed. "Over the summer, I met youth groups from Illinois, Montana, and Louisiana. It's quite special to know that those from all walks of life give their time to Second Harvest." For those of you that are interested in sharing your giving spirit, Justin said that it was going to be very hard to stop once you start. He has challenged you to make a difference. "Once you hear the statistics about how many millions of food and meals are dispersed each year, you would be shocked," Justin said. "With our busy lives, time is very precious, but every person that walks through those doors makes a difference." Second Harvest hopes you will take Justin's challenge and volunteer! Click here to fill out our volunteer registration form.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:55:40 +0000

Kids Cafe Makes a Difference

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:08:26 +0000

Jeff Darnell, Executive Director of the Salvation Army Kids Club, discusses the impact Second Harvest's Kids Cafe program has on children. Sometimes the meal that Second Harvest provides through Kids Cafe is the only meal these children receive before going home. The Kids Cafe annual Holiday Party is approaching, and we're asking for toy donations. Please drop off the toys at the downtown Nashville Renaissance Hotel located on Commerce St. by December 9th.

First Harvest Cafe: Tennessee River Marina Buffet (Dec. 3)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:00:06 +0000

This Friday‘s Lunch: Tennessee River Marina Buffet

Cole Slaw with Homemade Dressing
Not Yet Famous Fried Catfish
Sautéed Zucchini
BBQ Chicken
Johnny Cakes
Pecan Bars

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Puckett's Grocery Helps Fight Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:00:55 +0000

Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant is helping those in need this holiday season by participating in Second Harvest Food Bank's Feeding Hope Challenge. The legendary restaurant will be taking non-perishable items at its three locations through December 31, and those who donate five cans or more will receive a serving of their famous cobbler. Claire Marshall Crowell, Puckett's Nashville manager, said that Second Harvest has done so much for the Middle Tennessee community and continue to help those in need on a daily basis. "We wanted to do something to give back, especially during the time of year when they have the greatest need." Second Harvest has a long way to go in order to raise 8 million meals for hungry Middle and West Tennesseans. We hope you will participate in Puckett's food drive. If you would rather host your own food drive, volunteer, or donate money, we encourage all of those as well. We simply hope you will get in the spirit of giving this holiday season and help us raise 8 million meals! Some of our most need items include:

Peanut Butter
Baby Food
Canned Meat
Canned Vegetables
Canned Fruit
Mac N Cheese
Cereal

Feed the Need

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:00:04 +0000

The Nashville Rotary Club and their families volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee the morning of December 4th. The group packed 1,054 Holiday Boxes that will be distributed to people in the North Nashville area on Saturday, December 18th. With all the volunteers that participated, this group was able to help with several different aspects of the Food Bank. They packed a total of 6,832 lbs., which was 299 boxes of food. There were 1,044 Project Preserve BackPacks packed, and there were 1,000 goodie bags packed for the Kids Cafe Holiday Party. You too can volunteer as a family! Contact volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org and sign up to pack BackPacks for hungry children on Family Night hosted at the Food Bank every Thursday night from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:28:28 +0000

Donor Spotlight: Nissan North America

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:00:39 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1640" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Nissan sponsors Second Harvest’s Kids Cafe holiday party every year."][/caption] Since moving their headquarters to Middle Tennessee in 2006, Nissan North America has partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank as a corporate partner in many ways. Nissan has been a champion of Second Harvest’s Children Feeding Programs by underwriting BackPack sites in Rutherford, Franklin, and Williamson counties, along with sponsoring the annual Kids Cafe Holiday Party. By funding BackPack sites at various schools, many children who would otherwise go hungry on weekends are now able to have access to nutritious food. The Kids Cafe holiday party offers a fun year-end event for children served at our Kids Cafe sites and culminates with a toy drive that allows each child to have a gift. “Every December, I look forward to being a part of the Kids’ Cafe Holiday party,” said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Nissan’s Senior Manager of Philanthropy and Diversity Communications. “I love working with the Second Harvest Food Bank staff and meeting the children that participate in the Kids Cafe program. The children have a wonderful time and have such big smiles on their faces!” In addition to their support of children, Nissan has also partnered with Second Harvest by providing vehicles that are used by staff to visit our clients and Community Food Partners throughout the 46 counties that we serve. This year, Nissan also served as the Honorary Sponsor of the Harvest Moon Ball and gave an extra gift following the historic flooding in May. “One of Nissan’s giving priorities is humanitarian support. Specifically, we support hunger and shelter relief,” Streaty said. “It is important to Nissan employees that we are a good corporate citizen, and we are proud that Nissan supports an organization like Second Harvest. The community at Nissan values the opportunity to volunteer at the food bank and participate in food drives. Second Harvest is a great partner to fight against hunger!” Second Harvest is grateful for Nissan’s incredible partnership in feeding hope to our communities throughout Middle Tennessee.

Corporate partnerships are key to help Second Harvest meet the needs of the 600,000 people we serve annually. If your business or organization would like to partner with Second Harvest, please contact Karen Benson at 615-627-1620 or Karen.benson@shfbmt.org.

Second Harvest Needs You!

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:00:26 +0000

With the temperatures dropping, Second Harvest Food Bank needs to get several trailer loads of food sorted and distributed as soon as possible. We are trying to fill up our volunteer shifts on Thursday and Friday so that we are efficient and quick during this process. We are looking for individuals, groups and corporations to sort perishable (oranges, squash, frozen meat) and non-perishable food donations from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. today and Friday. If people/groups are interested, they can register online at Hands on Nashville or simply show up to register in person at the beginning of each shift outlined above. We hope to see you soon!

Help Second Harvest Win $1,000,000 from Walmart

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:00:23 +0000

Second Harvest has a chance to win $1,000,000 from Walmart, but we can't do it without you. Please follow this link: http://fightinghunger.walmart.com/city/Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin-TN Once you have gotten to this website, please click "like" and help us spread the word. Walmart will be giving away $1,000,000 to the organization with the most "likes," and the 5 runner-ups will receive $100,000. If Second Harvest were to win $1,000,000 from Walmart, we could provide 4,000,000 meals to hungry Middle Tennesseans!

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:52:35 +0000

Last Call for Ms. Cheap’s Penny Drive

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:00:58 +0000

Guest blog by Lucia Crenshaw, Second Harvest Cause Related Marketing Manager When my best friend was in kindergarten, everyday on the way to school, she would pass a man with a sign that read, “Hungry, please give food.” And everyday, my friend, would save a portion of her lunch, tuck it away in her little book-bag, and everyday on the way home, she would get her carpool driver to stop, she would roll down the window, and give this man half of her lunch. There were no questions asked by anyone involved--this is just the way that it was. This holiday season, Second Harvest is asking that you do the same thing—take the Feeding Hope Challenge and help raise 8 MILLION MEALS for hungry men, women, and children by December 31st. How can you do this? There are many ways to help, and one is as easy as putting pennies in a jar. For the past two months, Avenue Bank, The Tennessean, and The Daily News Journal have encouraged the community to give back through Ms. Cheap’s Penny Drive, It is not too late to participate. This week marks the end of Ms. Cheap’s Penny Drive, and let’s end it with a bang! Have a wallet full of heavy coins? Empty it out and help feed hungry people in this community. Once you are finished collecting coins, please take all donations to any Avenue Bank location, The Tennessean, The Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, or you can bring it to Second Harvest. My best friend didn’t give the man on the road a million dollars, but she fed him everyday with what little she could, half of her kindergarten lunch. One in 6 people in Middle Tennessee are hungry—we all should give a little to help, because together it equals a lot. Thank you for taking the Feeding Hope Challenge.

We Thank Our Volunteers

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:00:34 +0000

We want to thank all of our volunteers that answered Thursday and Friday's plea of help. We had food that was in jeopardy of freezing, and we needed to get that product sorted and packed in order to distribute it to our partner agencies as quick as possible. Thank you for all your hard work and support!

Employee Spotlight: Ryan Havice

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:00:29 +0000

Meet Ryan Havice! Second Harvest's new volunteer associate. Join him for an evening volunteer shift, and be sure to bring your non-perishable food items to participate in the Feeding Hope Challenge volunteer food drive. Help us reach our goal to provide 8 million meals for Middle Tennessee's hungry!

First Harvest Cafe: Cajun Salute (Dec. 17)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:00:12 +0000

This Friday‘s Lunch Menu: Cajun Salute

Spinach Salad
Chicken Etouffeè
Shrimp, Okra and Andouille Smoked Sausage Gumbo
Rice
Green Beans Almondine
Bourbon Street Bread Pudding

For $12 per person (tax included,) you receive a great lunch. Be a part of the Feeding Hope Challenge and help us raise 8 million meals for hungry men, women, and children this holiday season.

Weekends Without Hunger Act Passes House!

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:36:36 +0000

On December 8, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Weekends Without Hunger Act (H.R. 5012/S. 3292). This bill would support community efforts to feed low-income children during weekends and long school holidays. Filling in the gaps during weekends and school holidays is one of Feeding America’s top legislative priorities, and this bill represents an important legislative victory for our network. The Weekends Without Hunger Act would authorize a five-year pilot program to provide nutritious USDA commodities to eligible institutions, such as food banks, to provide food to at-risk children during weekends and long school holidays. The bill includes an evaluation to assess the feasibility of establishing a federal weekend feeding program. Over 150 Feeding America food banks in 46 states operate our BackPack Program, providing nutritious food when kids leave for the weekend or school breaks. If the bill passes the Senate before Congress adjourns next week, it would result in new opportunities for food banks to acquire federal commodities for backpack programs. Please see our action alert to learn what you can do to help push the bill through.

Backpack Program two children walking arm in arm

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:39:18 +0000

© Joshi Radin 2008

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:41:52 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 17:09:12 +0000

Publix Presents Food For Sharing

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:00:01 +0000

As you are buying groceries for your upcoming Christmas dinner, be sure to share your food with those less fortunate. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and Publix have partnered together to fight hunger this holiday season and participate in the Feeding Hope Challenge. There are two ways for you to donate to Publix's "Food for Sharing" food drive. You can either give a monetary donation when you check out, or you can donate non-perishable goods and place them in the Second Harvest barrels at each store. If you choose to make a monetary donation, there are three levels, and Publix will pull food from its inventory with the money that you give. Here are the levels:

Gold: Publix Fruit Cocktail, Publix Homestyle Mashed Potatoes, Publix Cut Green Beans (2), Publix Long-Grain Rice and Plumrose Ham
Silver: Publix Cut Green Beans, Hormel Corned Beef Hash, Publix Long-Grain Rice, Publix Grape Jelly and Publix Creamy Peanut Butter
Bronze: Publix Fruit Cocktail, Publix Cut Green Beans, StarKist Chucky Light Tuna (2), and Armour Vienna Sausage (3)

December is a very busy time for the Food Bank throughout our service area. Currently, food drive donations for December are down 35 percent from last year. Please consider donating non-perishables at your local Publix, Kroger, or Dollar General. Our most needed items are canned chicken/tuna, canned vegetables, canned fruit, cereal, pasta and canned soup. Remember that every item donated will go to someone in need. We hope you will go for the gold and share your food with those in need this holiday season!

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:53:49 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:55:09 +0000

$1 Feeds 4 People

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:00:49 +0000

For many of us, the holidays bring thoughts of cheerful gatherings, gift giving, and going back for seconds. But for thousands of Tennessee children, families and seniors, all that comes to mind is "Where will I find my next meal?" Families who once prepared a lavish feast are now skipping dinner. Children who, just last year, were asking for the newest toy are now walking to school hungry. And elderly couples, recently enjoying retirement, are now choosing between paying bills and putting food on the table. Fortunately, we can come together as a community and make things better. In fact, a simple one-dollar donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee provides four meals for families in crisis. This holiday season, our neighbors need your help more than ever. Support from businesses, schools, religious organizations, civic groups, and individuals are critical to our mission, and your gift will provide hope to thousands of families. Please donate to start making a difference right away. You can make a meaningful impact on someone's life– together we can fight hunger and feed hope in our community. Join us in the Feeding Hope Challenge.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:59:49 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 22:02:14 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 22:30:52 +0000

Second Harvest Calls For Donations To Help Feed Hungry People

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:00:40 +0000

Demand for food assistance is up 40 percent and with only a few weeks to go, Second Harvest Food Bank is falling short on meeting its holiday food drive and fundraising goal. Second Harvest launched the Feeding Hope Challenge on November 1 with the goal of providing 8 million meals to hungry men, women and children during the holiday season throughout its 46-county service area in Middle and West Tennessee. To date, the campaign has raised approximately 5.1 million meals – a little over half of the food and funds needed to keep pace with the increased need in our community. “An astonishing one in six Americans live on the edge of hunger—and in a suffering economy, these numbers will only grow,” said Tasha Kennard, Vice President of Marketing & Communications for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. “Hunger in Tennessee is real and pervasive—from inner-city neighborhoods to rural towns, as well as suburban communities of all appearances. In our 46 county service area, requests for food assistance has increased by forty percent while food donations are down fifteen percent.” Remember, every little bit helps because one dollar provides four meals. We hope you will consider donating your food, funds, or both to help feed hungry people in your community this holiday season!

Second Harvest Donations Down as Need Increases

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:00:13 +0000

This video was featured on WKRN Channel 2 10 p.m. news on Tuesday, December 22nd.

Bringing Hope to the Table

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 14:00:45 +0000

Guest blog by Kroger's Melissa Eads Kroger has been involved with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee since its inception more than 30 years ago. Since we are in the food business, one of our main philanthropic areas is focused on feeding the hungry. Second Harvest works hard to end hunger and feed hope in the Middle Tennessee community. Through January 29th, Kroger has made it easy for you to join us to fight hunger. When you shop at your Middle Tennessee Kroger store, please consider dropping your loose change or cash donations in the coin boxes provided at each check lane. It is amazing how fast our loose change can add up to much needed funds to help those who are hungry. You may also purchase pre-assembled food bags for Second Harvest 365 days a year at Kroger. Just pay for them at checkout, and place them in the Food Bank donation barrel at the front of every store. Hunger continues to be a concern for so many. In fact, one in six Tennesseans are at risk for hunger. We can make a difference. Please join us in Bringing Hope to the Table.

Share Your Leftovers, Feed the Hungry

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:24:27 +0000

It is typical for us to have a few unused items in our pantries after the holidays - those extra cans of green beans, cranberry sauce and yams - and they usually just collect dust until we find time to clean out our pantry in the spring or find a creative way to use them in a post holiday recipe. How about starting one resolution a little early this year? Share your leftovers to help feed the hungry. Food donations are down 15% and the demand for food assistance continues to climb. You can help right now. Step 1: Grab your reusable bag (or any bag for that matter) Step 2: Check your cupboard or pantry and fill it up with your "leftovers" Step 3: Drop them off where you see our Second Harvest Food Drive Bins in your local Kroger, Publix or Whole Food Stores. We will take care of the rest! P.S. Even if you do not have any left overs, you can still give! Go to our website and donate through our virtual food drive where you can shop for the basic necessities for food pantries and purchase items in bulk.

Hunger in Middle Tennessee

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:00:44 +0000

- Guest blog by Bill Smith, Second Harvest Senior Director, Corporate Relations Are people really hungry right here in Tennessee? That is a fair question—one that I hear from time to time. If you’ve traveled to countries where living standards fall short of our own, you may have seen hunger in a way that we don’t generally see around here. Why support hunger relief here in the middle of America? Here’s why. One day I was showing a group of university students around the food bank. One student was from South Asia. Another was from Africa. I gave those foreign students credit for knowing what starvation can look like. And, yet, the only difference between hunger in their countries and hunger in our area is that we are able to do something about it through Second Harvest and the hundreds of charities that distribute the food we supply. Our community is not only able to hold back starvation among us, many of you are willing to take action to be the difference, through food donations, through gifts and through volunteerism. Without help, many in Tennessee would suffer their own personal “third-world” conditions. It is within your power to make that difference, right here in our area. Join the Feeding Hope Challenge and help us provide 8 million meals to those at risk of hunger in our communities. Make your gift before December 31, and help us fight hunger and feed hope in Middle Tennessee.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:12:49 +0000

Let's Raise the Steaks

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:00:18 +0000

The day after New Year’s can sometimes feel like a let down—the holidays are over and school and work will soon resume. Maybe you’ve eaten your black-eyed peas and made your New Year’s Resolutions, but regardless, the glitter and cheer of the holidays are now in the past, and the day after New Year’s can feel a little bit dull. Dull, that is, until this year. From January 2nd to January 6th, for the first time ever, Nashville-area steakhouses, the Tennessee Beef Council, and the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association are coming together to Raise the Steaks for four deserving non-profits, Second Harvest being one of them. On Sunday, January 2nd, Flemings, Morton’s, Old Hickory Steakhouse, Ruth Chris Steakhouse, Sperry’s Restaurants, and Stoney River Legendary Steaks will be giving a % of sales to Second Harvest Food Bank. Help Second Harvest “Raise the Steaks” and dine at one of these restaurants on January 2nd. To learn more about this event, make reservations, and see some amazing deals, please go to www.raisethesteaksnash.com. Thank you for helping us to Raise the Steaks!

First Harvest Cafe: The Last Lunch of the Year (Dec. 31)

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 14:00:07 +0000

The Last Friday Lunch of the Year: The Last Lunch

Strawberry Pecan Salad
White Chicken Chili
Cream of Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey and Ham
Assorted Cheeses
Assorted Condiments
Assorted Home Baked Cookies

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Resolve to Fight Hunger, Feed Hope

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 16:47:06 +0000

Guest Blog, Tasha Kennard, Vice President of Marketing & Communication As our blog has shared with you over the past year, Hunger lives here and affects all walks of life. While 2010 comes to a close and we feel refreshed to start a new year, we hope you will resolve to fight hunger. Here are a few ways you can help starting today and throughout 2011:

Volunteer to sort food donations, stock a pantry or distribute food at a mobile pantry.
Host a food drive or fundraising event with your friends, business, church, school, etc.
Make a year end, tax-deductible donation. Donations made today are still tax-deductible and due to our purchasing and manufacturing abilities, we can turn $1 into 4 meals.
Use those dollars you've resolved to save by "cooking more and eating out less" to feed hungry people. Pick up a few extra items at the grocery store once a month and drop them into our collection barrel or deliver them to the Food Bank.
If you are resolving to drop those extra pounds, find a friend to motivate you and help the food bank, too. For every pound you pledge, the Pound for Pound Challenge will donate 11¢ to Feeding America® — enough to secure one pound of groceries on behalf of local food banks.

Every volunteer, every food donation and every dollar donated makes a difference. Add Fight Hunger, Feed Hope to your Resolution list this year and help feed your hungry neighbors. Here's to a year of new beginnings and putting food on the table - for those that are hungry and for those that help us fight hunger in our community each and every day. Thank you for your continued generosity and support.

Helping Hungry Homes

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:00:34 +0000

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has received support from Smithfield over the years because they believe that no one should go hungry in our country. This company has donated 300 thousand servings of protein to Second Harvest to feed our hungry neighbors! To continue the fight against hunger, Smithfield has started a Facebook ‘Helping Hungry Homes’ application, whereby Smithfield will donate to a food bank one serving of protein for every person who becomes a fan of their page between now and the end of January. Please help us feed even more families by posting the following suggested copy to your Facebook page and linking to their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/CookingwithSmithfield. Suggested copy for post: Please help our partner, Smithfield, in their fight against hunger. Smithfield will donate one serving of protein for every person who becomes a fan of their page between now and the end of January. We hope you will help us fight hunger this new year!

Join the Pound for Pound Challenge Today

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:28:51 +0000

The season premiere of The Biggest Loser kicks off on NBC tonight - January 4 - at 7:00 pm CST. For those of you who watch the show, you're probably familiar with the Pound for Pound Challenge. Now in it's third year, the Pound for Pound Challenge helps people lose weight and feed hungry people at the same time. For every pound you pledge to lose through May 31, 2011, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 11¢ to Feeding America® — enough to secure one pound of groceries on behalf of local food banks. $1,040,000 maximum donation. Now, for the first time, you can create your own Pound For Pound Challenge® team! Sign up with friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and anyone who you'd like to invite. Second Harvest Food Bank is calling all Challenge Champions to join our local efforts by taking the pledge now and recruiting your friends, family, coworkers and gym buddies to form a team. The more pounds pledged, the more people we can feed in our community. We will be sharing stories and ideas from our supporters throughout the campaign so stay tuned for more news from our Challenge Champions - Richie Lee, Shaun Daugherty and David Griffin - to name a few!

Big Time Healthy

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:00:04 +0000

Guest blog by Rebekah Jacques, Second Harvest Nutrition Manager During this holiday season, we invited a guest speaker to join us at one of our Kids Cafe sites for a special lesson on healthy living. Throughout the Fall, we have been discussing the food guide pyramid at our Kids Cafe locations. This message on overall healthy habits helped to highlight how nutrition fits into the big picture of being Big Time Healthy. Below, you will find a summary and video of the class. In the video, the children are learning the song created to teach them about the five healthy habits emphasized in this lesson: Exercise, Nutrition, Happiness, Hygiene, and Rest (the Healthy High 5) Andy Benedict, creator of Big Time Healthy, and his crew joined us at one of our Kids Cafe sites this week to present a high energy, fun filled lesson focused on health. Andy’s mission is to promote healthy habits to children at a young age, typically kindergarten to 2nd graders, in hopes of preventing obesity and heart disease later in life. Appearing as a super hero, Andy introduces himself to the children as Mr. Big Time Healthy! The costume and high energy appearance quickly capture the children’s attention and help to keep them engaged and attentive for the following 30 to 45 minutes of this educational session. Mr. Big Time Healthy focuses on five areas of health in his presentation: Exercise, Nutrition, Happiness, Hygiene, and Rest (the Healthy High 5). Creative, age appropriate songs and poems accompany each of the key points of the Healthy High 5 to help the children remember what they have learned. At the close of the class, Mr. Big Time Healthy challenges the children to incorporate each of the healthy five habits into their everyday lives. Each child receives a packet and is asked to trace their hand on the front to remind them there are five areas of focus. Within the packet, they discover a list of “Healthy High 5 Activities”. To successfully complete the challenge, they must integrate exercise, happiness, hygiene, rest, and nutrition into their lives for five days and track their progress by filling in a chart. Upon completion, they receive a prize to congratulate them on their efforts and success! If the program is presented within a school, follow up lessons are provided that can be taught by the teachers to continue to emphasize the key messages. With childhood obesity on the rise, we need to be doing everything possible to promote healthy habits to our children. We appreciate Andy giving of his time to share this enjoyable, educational message. To learn more about Big Time Healthy and his program, visit Andy’s website.

Thank you for the Gift of HOPE

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:47:29 +0000

Putting food on the table has been an impossible task for many families over the past few years, but because of your generosity and support, we surpassed our goal and raised 8,062,381 meals during the Feeding Hope Challenge this holiday season. Thank you for giving the gift of hope to the 1 in 6 Tennesseans at risk of hunger. We remain committed to our mission of feeding hungry people and working to solve hunger issues in our community and we recognize that the task ahead of us has never been greater. Fifty-five percent of our community food partners report seeing more first time clients and many of those clients do not know how to access the support they need to get by during these trying times. We are here to help and are working hard to secure the necessary food resources and build capacity with our agency partners to meet the needs of the communities we serve. Fighting hunger isn't just for the holidays or during the summer when the kids are out of school. Hunger lives here everyday, every hour and every second. Your continued support is critical to our mission and we look forward to working with you to fight hunger and feed hope in 2011.

Six Nights of Love at Mambu

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:53:23 +0000

This week, MAMBU Restaurant and Bar is teaming up with special guest, Chef Deb Paquette, formally of Zola, to dish out “6 Nights of Love” for the Nashville community. For the next 6 nights, Mambu will be offering a special 4-course menu for $40, and giving 25% of each night’s proceeds to different Nashville nonprofit organizations, Second Harvest Food Bank being one of them! Dine at Mambu on Thursday, January 27th, and for every order placed, Mambu will donate 40 MEALS to hungry, men, women and children in the Middle Tennessee community! Seating is limited; so call ASAP to make reservations—(615) 329-1293. Mambu Restaurant and Bar is located at: 1806 Hayes Street Nashville, TN 37203. Go to mamburestaurant.com to learn more about this funky, fun downtown restaurant with a homey feel.

Food for Fines, last call

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:00:36 +0000

It's not too late to erase those overdue fines at your local Nashville Public Library. The Nashville Public Library "Food for Fines" campaign is extended until January 27th! Exchange canned goods & other foods for library overdue fines to help Second Harvest Food Bank during Food for Fines week, January 10 - 27, 2011, at Nashville Public Library. Library members will get $1 in current fines* waived for each can or package of food donated during the drive, held at all Nashville Public Library locations. Items especially needed include: peanut butter canned meats (tuna fish, beef stew) canned vegetables and fruit macaroni and cheese rice and pasta Bring canned goods, or items in boxes or plastic bags or jars (no glass can be accepted) to the circulation desk at your library. Don't forget to bring your library card! * Replacement fees for lost or damaged materials, fees for losses that are in billing or collection stages, and lost card fees are not included in the food drive.

Sharing Spree is feeding hungry people!

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:42:20 +0000

Second Harvest Food Bank has partnered with Sharing Spree to help raise funds to feed hungry people. Sharing Spree adds a special twist to the Groupon-style group buying concept. They extend huge price breaks to buyers, creating remarkable deals on goods, services and activities – PLUS they donate at least 10% of their revenue to charitable causes! Second Harvest Food Bank is featured TODAY, January 27th. $8 for $16 worth of food at Nashville Pizza Company! HERE’S HOW: 1. Register (it’s free!) at www.sharingspree.com to receive the daily deals. Log in to your account. New Users CLICK HERE! 2. Click on “My Account,” choose “Profile” and select Second Harvest Food Bank as your favored nonprofit. 3. Buy TODAY’S Nashville Pizza Company Spree and share it with all of your friends! Second Harvest Food Bank will receive 10% of Sharing Spree profits on these featured deals! Even if you don’t buy today’s deal, be sure to sign up with Sharing Spree through our link and we will raise funds on every purchase you make in the future. You will receive a daily email alert and we are sure you will find a deal that is right for you! Tell Your Friends! If your friends would be interested in getting great deals and helping Second Harvest Food Bank reach its fundraising goals, be sure to let them know about Sharing Spree! Click ‘Refer A Friend’ at Sharing Spree and you can even earn Sharing Spree credit to use towards your next purchase!

Souper Bowl Sunday

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:06:53 +0000

Are you hosting a super bowl party? Whether you are rooting for Steelers or Packers, you can help provide food for those in need by holding a SOUPER BOWL food drive at your Super Bowl Party. Encourage your family and friends to bring non-perishable soup products to your game watching party. Feel Free to get creative and make it a fun competition between Packers and Steelers Fans or have them bring in black/yellow or green/yellow soup products in support of the teams colors. Donations can be dropped off at the Food Bank in Metro Center anytime Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm. Remember, every can counts and will help feed the 1 in 6 Tennesseans at risk of HUNGER in our community.

BO PEEP Group Supports Second Harvest

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:01:10 +0000

Bo Peeps are Challenging You to Join the Pound for Pound Challenge!

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:02:58 +0000

Second Harvest would like to say a BIG thank you to the Bo Peep’s and their amazing team effort during the Pound for Pound Challenge! To date, the Bo Peeps have pledged over 2, 600 pounds on www.pfpchallenge.com, and they have consistently been in the top 25 out of ALL TEAMS in the United States! So who are these peeps? They are fans of Bo Bice, American Idol Season 4 runner-up and rising country music star. Last year, Bo came to Second Harvest Food Bank during “Idol Gives Back,” and it was then that Pound for Pound team administrator, Deb Charnesky saw both the need in this community, as well as the scope of what Second Harvest does. It is for all these reasons that the Bo Peeps have rallied together to take the Pound for Pound Challenge and to give back to the Middle Tennessee community. To learn more about the Pound for Pound Challenge and how to make a pledge and join/create a team, please visit www.pfpchallenge.com. Also, to learn more about Bo Bice, the Bo Peeps, and Bo’s tour dates, please visit, www.bobice.com. A special thank you to all the Bo Peeps! Together, you are all fighting hunger and feeding hope in the Middle Tennessee community. [caption id="attachment_1827" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Join the Pound for Pound Challenge Today!"][/caption]

Fulbright Students From Around The World Fight Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 22:24:07 +0000

Second Harvest received a helping hand today from students of the Fulbright Scholarship Program. Nashville was their second stop on a nine part enrichment seminar series focusing on greening the earth. They chose Second Harvest to complete their community service component. The volunteers consisted of 140 Fulbright students from 68 countries all pitching in to help fight hunger in Middle Tennessee. Check out the video to see volunteers from all over the world make a difference in our community.

Food Drive Competition to Meet Brad Paisley

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:28:41 +0000

Don't miss your chance to help feed hungry people and win a chance to meet Brad Paisley! With Second Harvest’s shelves critically low, Brad Paisley and Live Nation are stepping up to help by having a food drive competition between Brad Paisley fans. The person who donates the most food will win a pair of premium tickets and a pair of meet and greet passes to his February 26th concert at Bridgestone Arena. Fans are asked to donate canned food at the Second Harvest tent at the main entrance of Bridgestone Arena between 3PM and 7PM, Saturday, February 26th. Second Harvest’s most needed items are canned tuna and chicken, peanut butter, cereal, pasta, and canned fruit, vegetables, soups and stews. Visit our Facebook Event for more information.

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:11:23 +0000

Eight-year-old Donates 1753 Pounds of Food

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:14:21 +0000

Our food drive competition at the Brad Paisley concert on Saturday was a success! We had a huge showing of support from all who participated and we are now able to provide 2,990 meals to Middle Tennesseans at risk of hunger thanks to all of the generous donations. Second Harvest, with the help of Brad Paisley and Live Nation, held a food drive competition between Brad Paisley fans outside the Bridgestone Arena before Saturday's concert. All together we raised 2371 pounds of food and $285! The winner of the food drive competition was Sydnie Dawson, an eight-year-old from Manchester, Tenn. She won premium tickets and backstage passes after bringing in 1753 pounds of food! She wanted to win the tickets because Brad Paisley gave her one of his hats a few weeks ago and she was determined to tell him ‘thank you’. Well Sydnie, all of us at Second Harvest say 'thank you' to you for your generous donation!

First Harvest Cafe 3/4: French Cruise

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:29:25 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

French Cruise

Spinach Salad Tossed with Purple Onions and Bacon (or Pinenuts)

Green Beans Almonde´

Egg Noodles

Chicken Dijonnaise

“Boeuf” Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy)

Éclairs

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Lakeshore Church Gives Back

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:54:08 +0000

This past Saturday, Lakeshore Church volunteers packed 1,900 backpacks for Second Harvest's Backpack Program. Our Backpack Program meets the needs of hungry children by providing them with a pack of nutritious and easy-to-prepare food to take home on weekends and school vacations. In addition to being generous volunteers, Lakeshore Church has been a top 40 team since Day 1 of the Pound for Pound Challenge. In just 2 months, Lakeshore has recruited over 100 people to take the Pound for Pound Challenge, pledging a total of 2,443 lbs. on www.pfpchallenge.com. “Lakeshore is rare in the way we minister to the whole person; educating the community on overall health - spiritual AND physical; reaching out to those in need to feed them spiritually AND physically,” says Hether Crawford, an administrative assistant at Lakeshore Church. Hether is passionate about the Pound for Pound Challenge because she says, “both Lakeshore and I are committed to helping the community get healthy, as well as helping those in the community who are dealing with hunger.” In honor of the conclusion of Pound for Pound Challenge, Lakeshore is hosting a 5-K race on May 28th with all proceeds going to Second Harvest Food Bank. Details are soon to come on www.hethercrawford.com. Second Harvest would like to give a really big THANK YOU to Lakeshore Church and Hether Crawford. We are so thankful for your support and participation in the Pound for Pound Challenge and your dedicated volunteerism.

It is not to late to take the Pound for Pound Challenge! Go to www.pfpchallenge.com, pledge your weight loss goal, and 11 cents for each pound pledged will donated to the Food Bank that you choose at registration. It takes 10 seconds, costs nothing, and helps feed hope in this community!

First Harvest Cafe 3/11: Exploring the Mediterranean Rim

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:10:27 +0000

You Are Invited to Lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Exploring the Mediterranean Rim

My Big Fat Greek Salad Romaine Salad Tossed with Feta, Kalamata Olives and artichokes

Hummus and Pita

Couscous

Chicken Tagine A Moroccan poultry stew

Pastitsio A Greek baked pasta and beef dish

Green Beans with Romesco

Donna’s Blue Ribbon Baklava

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

BackPack Program Now Available in ALL Wilson County Elementary Schools

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:09:51 +0000

Second Harvest works diligently every day to deliver upon our mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community. Yesterday we came one step closer to fulfilling our mission. We are proud to say to that every elementary school in Wilson County will now be served by our BackPack Program! The BackPack Program meets the needs of hungry children by providing them with a pack of nutritious and easy-to-prepare food to take home on weekends and school vacations. A typical BackPack includes two canned entrees, such as chili and beans and franks, two fruit cups, two cereals, 100 percent fruit juice, shelf-stable milk, and a snack. Wilson County is the first county in our 46 county service area to have a BackPack Program in every elementary school. Because of the dedication of our Second Harvest staff, the community of Wilson County and the generous donations that support our BackPack Program, we will ensure that no child in need will go home for Spring Break without a backpack in the Wilson County elementary school system. In Tennessee, 23 percent of all children live in food insecure households, which means they do not always know where they will find their next meal. Tennessee has the 7th highest rate of child food insecurity in the nation. In addition, more than half of Tennessee students — about 494,612 — qualified for a free or reduced-price program last year. These numbers are staggering and Second Harvest works to lower these statistics by providing children's feeding programs like the BackPack Program. Please take a moment to learn more about our children's feeding programs and how you can further support our mission.

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Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:41:38 +0000

The 2010 Non-Event Raised $82,450 Benefiting Middle Tennessee’s Table!

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:42:23 +0000

In what has become an annual tradition for Middle Tennessee’s Table, this past December kicked off the 2010 Non-Event. The Non-Event is a campaign that invites individuals and organizations to participate in an event that allows them to stay at home! While the Non-Event has sponsors, patrons and invitations like any other event, it’s unique in that there’s not an actual event to attend, thus reducing overhead costs and allowing more funds to go directly to the need. The annual Non-Event benefits Middle Tennessee’s Table, a grocery rescue program where Second Harvest partners with over 190 grocery stores in 46 counties. The low expenses of the Non-Event afford Middle Tennessee’s Table the vital funds necessary to cover transportation costs associated with the pickup and delivery of food that would have otherwise been wasted, enabling Second Harvest to give it to those in need. This year’s Non-Event raised $82,450, which would not have been possible without all of the individuals and organizations who gave generously. Special thanks goes to this year’s Silver Sponsor, Ms. Katherine B. Crawford, and Gold Sponsors, Ann and Jonathan Shayne and Zander Insurance Group. Your generous support will allow us to once again rescue and distribute millions of pounds of food this year!

First Harvest Cafe 3/18: Cajun Salute

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:07:04 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Cajun Salute

Mixed Greens with a Home Mardi Gras Dressing

Chicken Creole

Cajun Fried Cat Fish

Red Beans and Rice

Corn on the Cobb

Bread Pudding with Bourbon Cream Sauce

For $12 per person (tax included,) you receive a great lunch. and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Newsletter: Food Fight March 2011

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:21:44 +0000

To view the full newsletter click here. To receive emails from Second Harvest click here. Extra! Extra! FEED All About It! Did you know that as a recipient of our monthly newsletter, Food Fight, you are supporting our mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community? By taking the time to read about the latest happenings you are actually educating yourself with the current hunger issues in our community and learning impactful ways to address them. Food Fight will give you the information you need to take a stand against hunger. By sharing testimonials from our clients, providing you with volunteer opportunities and other ways to get involved, we want to help you better understand the impact you can have in our community. New Email Alert Because all of the information we want to share with you cannot fit into Food Fight, you will now receive special Second Harvest alerts addressing certain issues, opportunities and events that need your full attention. While these alerts are very important to read, you can opt out of receiving them at any time. Our hope is that you will continue to further our mission and pass Food Fight and the special alerts on to others. As always, thank you for your continued support of Second Harvest. Get Involved Volunteering your time with Second Harvest is a great way to get involved and support our mission. There are always volunteer opportunities available for individuals and groups. Volunteers are especially needed Monday-Friday, 8:30-11:30 AM and 1:00-4:00 PM. To sign up for those shifts, email Meghan at volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org. To sign up for evening or weekend volunteer shifts, go to www.hon.org.

Kroger Proves Every Little Bit Adds Up

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:51:35 +0000

For five years in a row, Kroger has named Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee as their coin-drop charity during the holiday season. In less than three months, Kroger employees and customers raised over $15,000 for hungry men, women and children in our community. We are proud to say that this the the largest coin-drop donation to date! We are so thankful to Kroger for their ongoing support. Since 2005, Kroger’s coin-drop donations have raised over $73,000. This is a true testament to how pocket change can add up to equal a lot of positive change in our community. If you are interested in participating in a similar cause-related marketing campaign, please contact Lucia Crenshaw.

Martina McBride Packs BackPacks With Volunteers

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:08:15 +0000

Yesterday, our Family Night volunteers packed BackPacks alongside country music superstar, Martina McBride and her daughter. Family night is all about bringing families together to volunteer and teach younger children about the importance of giving back to our community. Martina's daughters have volunteered with classmates in the past, and Martina understands the importance of not only having her daughters involved in volunteering at a young age, but also volunteering as a family. "It was important for us to do it together. It makes more of an impact for us to do it together," said Martina about sharing the volunteer experience with her daughter. Martina also donated a check for $25,000 to Second Harvest. Her generosity will provide 100,000 meals to hungry men, women and children in our community. Second Harvest would like to thank Martina McBride for supporting our mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community. And, as always, we would like to thank our volunteers for donating their time to help pack BackPacks for children in our community who are at risk of hunger. Please take a moment and watch this short video of Martina McBride's visit to Second Harvest.

Kroger and Tyson Foods Team Up to Fight Hunger in Middle TN

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:50:53 +0000

This morning, Tyson Foods and Kroger donated 29,000 pounds of boneless chicken to Second Harvest as part of an effort to feed hungry people and promote public awareness of hunger in Middle Tennessee and America. "This donation is particularly important during this time because we have seen a 55% increase in first time clients here at Second Harvest," said Jaynee Day, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. "With the rising price of gas and the rising food prices, we have more and more families needing our assistance." Because of food partnerships with generous companies like Tyson Foods and Kroger, Second Harvest is able to better provide for hungry men, women and children. Their support of our mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community is greatly appreciated. "Feeding the hungry is a key focus area of giving for Kroger, and we have been working with Second Harvest for over 30 years now. We appreciate all the work they do to fight hunger and feed hope in our community," said Melissa Eads, Kroger community relations manager. Such a large donation of protein is very important because meat is the most requested and least available food. The 29,000 pounds of chicken will provide 22,000 meals to the clients of the 46 country service area of Second Harvest. Tyson Foods has been an active participant in the fight against hunger for a decade, donating more than 78 million pounds of protein, or the equivalent of 300 million meals. They are also focusing on bringing awareness to the hunger issues that face America through their "KNOW Hunger" campaign. Please take a moment to watch the video of Jaynee Day accepting the donation of 29,000 pounds of chicken from Kroger and Tyson Foods.

First Harvest Cafe 3/25: American Road House

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:53:42 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

American Road House

Toss Fresh Greens with Homemade Ranch Dressing

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Yellow Squash Casserole

New England Clam Chowder

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Brownies and Ice Cream

For $12 per person (tax included,) you receive a great lunch. and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Map the Meal Gap

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:38:24 +0000

Understand The Meal Gap in Our Community

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:40:52 +0000

Yesterday Feeding America released their latest study, Map the Meal Gap. In order for Americans to understand the hunger issues facing us every day, we need to see how hunger affects every community in every state. Feeding America undertook the Map the Meal Gap project to learn more about the face of hunger at the local community level. “This data has the potential to redefine the way service providers and policy makers address areas of need,” said Tasha Kennard, Vice President of Marketing & Communication for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. “The data and the interactive map will allow our Food Bank to collaborate with policy makers, state agencies, corporate partners and individual advocates to develop integrated strategies to fight hunger on a community by community level,” said Kennard. At first glance of the interactive Meal Gap map, you may not fully understand the language used such as "food insecurity" and "income bands", which is why there is an informational section below the map to help you better understand the criteria used to track hunger in America. The study takes a look at "meals" in a whole new way, using county-level data on food costs from The Nielsen Company to break down the food budget shortfall of our residents into an approximation of the meals missing from the tables of people at risk of hunger in Middle Tennessee each year. To close the meal gap, you must first understand how large the gap really is. By using this interactive map you can get the meal gap statistics for every state and county in America. You can also see the food banks that provide for those areas and the counties they serve. With the release of the Map the Meal Gap study, the hunger issues facing your community can no longer be ignored. You now have the information you need to understand how hunger affects you and Second Harvest can help provide the information you need to do something about it. Awareness is spread through education and action is taken when you are educated about the need. Help bring awareness to the hunger issues in your community and encourage your friends and family to use the Map the Meal Gap map to see the need in your community. You can view the Map the Meal Gap map here. To learn more about ways to get involved in our community please email volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org or call 615-627-1570.

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:21:07 +0000

Jaynee Sig Black-USE THIS

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:25:25 +0000

Jaynee Sig Black-USE THIS

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:26:14 +0000

Jaynee Sig

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:27:38 +0000

Working Hard to Meet the Growing Need

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:29:52 +0000

According to the USDA, food insecurity affects more than 49 million Americans. Nowhere is this problem more difficult to address than in rural areas and among the working poor, where reaching those in need is more complicated, and the stigma of seeking help is greater. One of the most common misconceptions is that if someone is hungry, that means they do not have a job and are living on the streets. In fact, anyone can experience hunger. It is a silent epidemic that affects more than 49 million Americans. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2008, 19 million people lived in working-poor families. Nine percent of all American families living below the poverty line have at least one family member working. In fact, 28 percent of households served by the Food Bank have one or more adults working. The US Census Bureau reports that over 19 percent of Americans – 55 million people – live in non-metropolitan areas throughout the United States. These rural communities face unique challenges. They generally experience higher poverty and unemployment, have less access to public transportation and therefore lack access to government services and face higher prices at the grocery store. In addition, just as in urban areas, the cost of living, including heating and housing costs, are rising. But people in rural areas must often drive farther to find work, forcing many to choose between putting food on the table or gas in the car. With widespread community support, we are working to make sure that those in need are made aware of the help available to them, through such government programs as food stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the WIC program, and area agencies—food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters—that provide emergency food assistance. Through the help of local and national food assistance programs, Second Harvest is able to provide nutritious food to Tennesseans struggling with hunger; safe and nurturing places for children to have a meal; emergency assistance for disaster victims; as well as a chance at self-sufficiency for adults trying to break the cycle of poverty and hunger. You can help feed hungry people in our community. Together, we can fight hunger and feed hope. Sincerely, Jaynee K. Day President & CEO

First Harvest Cafe 3/31: Santa Fe Fajita Buffet

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:14:29 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet

House Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Sautéed Green and Red Peppers with Sautéed Onions

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Dry Rubbed Grilled Flank Steak

Vegetarian Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)

Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream, and Shredded Cheese

Mexican Rice

Nachos

Key Lime Bars

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch. Help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

13th Annual Curves Food Drive Kicks Off in April

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:16:14 +0000

Curves of Green Hills offers incentives to members and the community to donate food and cash to benefit Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee. During the month of April, Curves of Green Hills will participate in the 13th Annual Curves Food Drive to collect non-perishable food and cash donations to benefit Second Harvest and partner agencies. From April 4-17, Curves will waive the membership fee for new members who donate a bag of non-perishable food or make a minimum donation of $30. The items most needed are canned chicken and tuna, canned fruit and vegetables, peanut butter, canned soups and stews, cereal and pasta "Our goal is to top the donation that we made last year," said Anna Fitzhugh owner of Curves of Green Hills. This is a great opportunity for the members of our Curves community to help strengthen the Nashville community, too. Everything that our members donate at our club will benefit local families in need." In addition to the food and monetary donations that each gym collects, Curves International is offering gyms the opportunity to win cash prizes for their local food banks. Prizes will be awarded to clubs with the most food collected, clubs who beat their 2010 donation level by the largest amount and to two randomly selected clubs drawn from all the clubs who enter the contest. Curves clubs have donated more than 61 million pounds of food in the U.S. and Canada since 2004. This year's Food Drive will get off to a strong start when Curves International founders Gary and Diane Heavin are featured on ABC Television's inspirational new show, Secret Millionaire, airing Sunday, April 3 at 8/7c. The Curves founders’ moving episode will help Curves members understand how the Curves Food Drive is the perfect opportunity for each of them to give back to their own communities. "The past few years have been difficult for many families," said Curves founder Diane Heavin. "Curves annual Food Drive is one way that everyone in the Green Hills area can make a real difference for a local family that is struggling. We encourage everyone, not just our members or those who are thinking about joining our gym, to make a cash donation or drop off a bag of non-perishable food items in April." For more information about Curves of Green Hills, located at 4004 Hillsboro Road, and the 2011 Curves Food Drive, contact a Curves of Green Hills staff member at 615-289-2277 For more information about Curves, please visit www.middletncurves.com

Volunteer Appreciation PSA

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:26:30 +0000

Please take a moment and watch our Volunteer Appreciation PSA presented by Jaynee Day, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

Newsletter: Food Fight April 2011

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:27:52 +0000

To view the full newsletter click here. To join our email list click here. Skip Lunch, Feed a Bunch For the average person, a meal is just a regular part of the daily routine, but for many Americans, a meal is a precious gift they can't always afford. This April, we encourage you to make a difference in the lives of hungry people and join us as we Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch. You can skip one lunch or several, and donate your lunch money to Second Harvest Food Bank. For every $1 donated, we provide 4 meals, strengthening your dollar to feed the 1 in 6 Americans at risk of hunger in our community. Join us today and Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch! April is Volunteer Appreciation Month In honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month, Second Harvest wants to thank the thousands of volunteers who help feed hungry people on a daily basis. We would like to show our appreciation throughout the month of April by recognizing their achievements. Over the past year our volunteers have:

Sorted nearly 3.5 million lbs of food for our partner agencies
Raised over 1 million lbs of food by organizing Food Drives
Packed enough BackPacks to feed 5,670 children every weekend

Thank you Second Harvest Volunteers for committing your time to fight hunger and feed hope. Please watch our Volunteer Appreciation PSA. Map the Meal Gap Feeding America undertook the Map the Meal Gap project, with the generous support of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and The Nielsen Company, to learn more about the face of hunger at the local community level. Select your state from the interactive map and start learning more about the residents struggling with hunger and the food banks that serve them. Read more about the findings of Map the Meal Gap in the Executive Summary or learn how we got this data. Check out our upcoming Second Harvest Events!

First Harvest Cafe 4/8: Tuscan Holiday

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:30:00 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Tuscan Holiday

Caesar Salad

Fettuccini Carciofi (Artichoke)

Eggplant Parmesan

Ziti with Asparagus and Chicken in a Lemon Cream Sauce

Farfalle with Julienne of Turkey, Spring Peas and Pearl Onions

Homemade Tiramisu

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:52:43 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:53:49 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:54:39 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:56:00 +0000

New Generator Will Prevent Food Loss

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:58:24 +0000

Last May, Second Harvest lost $200,000 worth of perishable food items during the four day power outage caused by the flood waters. Second Harvest depends on freezers and coolers to store perishable items needed for distribution to the 46 county service area. Due to the flood waters, the building was inaccessible and a generator could not be attached to the necessary panels, which were installed two years prior to the disaster. After this devastating loss, the Food Bank needed to have a permanent generator installed to prevent power loss to the freezers and coolers during a future disaster. Jaynee Day, President and CEO of Second Harvest, found a Challenge Grant that would provide half of the money necessary to purchase the generator if she could raise the remaining half. Four donors met this challenge and Jaynee was able to secure the Challenge Grant and purchase the generator for the Food Bank. Today, that generator was installed thanks to the generous donations of The Frist Foundation, The Memorial Foundation, The Dan and Margaret Maddox Charitable Fund and Jim Carrell. From now on, if Second Harvest is faced with the possibility of power loss, the new generator will ensure that the building's power stays on keeping the freezers and coolers at the appropriate temperature, preventing food loss.

maya

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:05:16 +0000

hiking meetup

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:06:03 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:06:48 +0000

Volunteer Recognition Event 2011

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:35:16 +0000

As part of Volunteer Appreciation Month, Second Harvest is honoring and recognizing the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. Last night, Second Harvest Volunteers received awards and enjoyed a gourmet meal provided by Executive Chef Mark Rubin at the Volunteer Recognition Event. Laurel Creech, Metro Chief Service Officer, thanked the volunteers on behalf of the City of Nashville. She spoke about the importance of giving back to the community and how the local government has participated in volunteer hours and food donations. Second Harvest Volunteer Leader, Mike Berger, spoke to the crowd about the spirit of volunteerism. Mike has been a volunteer in the sort room for almost six years. Mike encouraged the volunteers to get their families and other groups involved in Second Harvest. He also took the time to thank the volunteer leaders for appreciating and recognizing the hard work of the Second Harvest Volunteers on a daily basis. Special guest, Bertha Thomas delivered a 'Mission Moment' to the volunteers, as she is a direct recipient of all of their hard work. Meghan Markie, Volunteer Services Manager at Second Harvest, presented Awards of Service to recognize specific areas of volunteerism within the Food Bank for 2010. Below are the recipients. Youth Volunteer of the Year Maya Bregman is a 14 year old volunteer veteran! Maya's spirit has benefited Second Harvest not only by the help Maya provides when she comes to volunteer, but by the inspiration she gives to the employees and other volunteers who are privileged to work with her. Civic Volunteer Group of the Year Nashville Hiking Meetup volunteers every month to help sort food. Since Fevruary of 2009, Nashville Hiking Meetup has sorted approximately 375,000 pounds of food for Second Harvest's agencies and Emergency Food Box Sites. Lifetime Service Award Since 1989, Al Towne has volunteered with Second Harvest, including sorting food for the Emergence Food Box program, delivering food barrels to businesses and helping at our largest food drives. He volunteers every Tuesday and Thursday morning, and has sorted enough food throughout the years to feed half a million people. Heidi Tieslau, Food and Funds Drive Manager of Second Harvest, presented Food and Funds Drives Awards for their success in 2010. Below are the award recipients. Largest Corporate Food Drive Comcast Largest Virtual Food and Fund Raising Campaign Healthy Care Indemnity Largest Reaching Food Drive National Letter Carriers Association The United States Postal Service Largest Church Food Drive Otter Creek Church of Christ Largest Food Drive Campaign WKRN-TN/News 2 Volunteers are the lifeblood of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. It is because of their hard work and dedication that Second Harvest can feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in the community. Please view photos from the Volunteer Recognition Event on our Facebook Page.

Cal-Maine Foods Donates Over 72,000 Eggs

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:07:47 +0000

This morning, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee received a very generous gift of over 72,000 eggs from Cal-Maine Foods. These eggs will go to hungry people in Second Harvest's 46 county service area just in time for the Easter holiday. “Cal-Maine Foods egg farmers have been serving the Tennessee community for 50 years is proud to be partnering with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee to provide much needed protein to the most needy in our community, especially during the Easter holiday season," said Steve Storm of Cal-Maine Foods. More than 17 percent of the population in Tennessee is food insecure and approximately 16 percent live in poverty. The partnership here in Tennessee and throughout the nation will help feed 37 million of the more than 50 million men, women and children in America who are at risk of hunger, up significantly since the beginning of recession in December 2007. Protein is the most requested food type by Second Harvest's partner agencies and it is very difficult to keep a steady supply. These fresh eggs will go to the hungry men, women and children of Middle and West Tennessee who need this protein the most. Thanks to the generous donations of food, like this one today from Cal-Maine Foods, Second Harvest is able to continue it's mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community. Please view the photos from the donation on our Facebook Page.

First Harvest Cafe 4/13: French Cruise

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:20:45 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

French Cruise

Spinach Salad Tossed with Purple Onions and Bacon (or Pinenuts)

Spring Peas and Pearl Onions

Potatoes Lyonnaise

Chicken Fricassee with Herbs de Provence

Roasted Leg of Spring New Zealand Lamb with a Mint Caper Sauce

Homemade Éclairs

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:51:51 +0000

How To: Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:52:48 +0000

During the month of April we are asking you to Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch. There are many ways you can participate in this campaign against hunger. You can participate as an individual, a group or even have your entire company get involved! Below are some fun and unique ways to Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch! Invite friends over for a cookout Offer your friends a free meal at your house and ask them bring the money they would have used to eat out and donate it to Second Harvest to feed others. Have a game night where everyone pays to attend Donate the proceeds of your fun-filled evening to provide meals for those who need it most. For every dollar donated, we provide four meals. Involve your neighbors Plan a neighborhood potluck, but instead of bringing a covered dish, encourage donations! Collect money as a neighborhood to help feed families who need it most. Get your coworkers involved Encourage your coworkers to dine in instead of dining out for an entire week! Ask them to donate the money they saved to feed hungry people in the community! Ask your company to participate Organize a company luncheon and ask your employees to to offer a donation to attend. Imagine how many meals your company could provide if everyone just donated one dollar. One dollar equals four meals, you do the math! Donate to our virtual food drive You can skip lunch and donate to our Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch Virtual Food Drive! You can participate in this food drive from the comfort of your home. Simply click and drag the food items into the virtual shopping cart, and you will provide meals to hungry people! We can all do our part. Think of something you love to do and involve your friends and family. Pool your resources and know that every $1 you donate is able to provide 4 meals for hungry men, women and children in Middle and West Tennessee! For more ideas, follow us on Twitter and 'Like' us on Facebook!

Youth Volunteer of the Year- Maya Bregman

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:56:21 +0000

Maya Bregman has been filled with a volunteer spirit her entire life. That spirit has benefited Second Harvest, not only by the help Maya provides when she comes to volunteer; but by the inspiration she gives to the employees and other volunteers who are privileged to work with her. Maya has overcome significant challenges in the form of developmental disabilities to volunteer at Second Harvest every week. Since volunteering at the food bank, she has labeled over 4,000 unlabeled cans, packed multiple backpacks for Second Harvest's Backpack Program and has volunteered in the Culinary Arts Center. From 2007-2009, Maya completed 13 service projects as part of her preparation for her Bat Mitzvah. During that time, Maya lead a food drive at her school, for which she filmed a school-wide PSA. Maya uses a computerized talker to communicate. This allows her to come to "work" (Second Harvest) and greet staff, receive instructions, and speak with her talker. "Having Maya as a Second Harvest Volunteer not only adds joy to my day , but has inspired our Volunteer Services Team to provide volunteer experiences that assist in professional and personal development for all of our special needs volunteers. She shows us all what compassion and generosity really are," said Caroline Foley, Second Harvest's Volunteer Associate. What Maya contributes to Second Harvest is much more meaningful than a few hours a week. We are grateful, not only for the time that she gives and the work that she does, but for her enduring and kind spirit- and for allowing us to learn from her. Maya truly inspires. She inspires all of us to be kind, be strong, be determined, and most of all, she inspires us to give. We are honored to know her and to call her a part of the Second Harvest Family. Thank you Maya for inspiring others to fight hunger and feed hope.

ChesterMP group

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:45:10 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:46:01 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:46:24 +0000

Mission Moment: Mobile Pantry

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:47:24 +0000

Faith and Hope Food Bank, a Partner Agency of Second Harvest, hosted their first Mobile Pantry in Henderson (Chester Co.). The National Guard Armory graciously offered their facility for food distribution and parking. Save-A-Lot donated 28 shopping carts to better serve clients. Randy Morris, Billy Dickerson and Neil Kinchen were instrumental in organizing this event. With the help of 60 volunteers, Faith and Hope Food Bank worked tirelessly to distribute 17,000 pounds of food to 230 families and over 700 people. The Mobile Pantry is a traveling food pantry that delivers food directly to agencies to hold a one-day large-scale food distribution for people in need. Each Mobile Pantry is coordinated with a local community organization, such as a church, senior center, or help center. Second Harvest’s truck delivers the food to the partner agency, and their volunteers work to set it up similar to a farmer’s market. People in need are invited to attend and receive a large box of food, which includes perishable and nonperishable food items, fresh produce, personal care items, and household cleaning products. All of the food is distributed within several hours. This program is one of the best ways Second Harvest can provide assistance to rural communities in our service area. Thank you to all of the volunteers who assisted Faith and Hope Food Bank in making this Mobile Pantry possible. Together we can fight hunger and feed hope.

HenryBP1

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:23:51 +0000

HenryBP2

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:24:14 +0000

Three BackPack Programs Extended

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:25:20 +0000

Our BackPack Program helps to meet the need of hungry children by providing a pack of nutritious, easy-to-prepare foods for kids to take home on the weekends and school vacations. Three BackPack programs in Decatur, Henderson (Lexington City Schools) and Henry Counties will now be extended through the end of the school year! By providing the necessary funds, Second Harvest Food Bank was able to help these counties finish out the school year with their current BackPack Programs. Pictured is Ms. Martha Thomas Sanders and her group of volunteers who pack 450 backpacks every other week for three schools in Henry County.

Civic Volunteer Group of the Year: Nashville Hiking Meetup

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:31:22 +0000

Nashville Hiking Meetup’s relationship with the food bank began the way many do, with a phone call to our Volunteer Associate to set up a time to volunteer. What came out of that call was a dynamic and passionate group who not only wanted to come volunteer once, but every month to help sort food. Since February of 2009, Nashville Hiking Meetup has sorted approximately 375,000 lbs of food for Second Harvest’s Partner Agencies and Emergency Food Box Sites. Each month, anywhere from 40-100 Hiking Meetup volunteers arrive to sort food, and during the busy season, they come twice a month! Hiking Meetup can mobilize quickly, work efficiently, and is now one of the staple groups of our Food Bank family. Second Harvest is proud to call Nashville Hiking Meetup our Volunteer Civic group of the year!

Publix Donates to Second Harvest

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:48:47 +0000

During the months of November and December, Publix encouraged shoppers to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank through their "Food for All" campaign. All together, Publix's "Food for All" campaign raised a whopping $26,998.78 for hungry men, women, and children in Middle Tennessee! We are so grateful for partnerships with companies like Publix that support our mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community. Thank you Publix for all of your generous support and your willingness to fight hunger and feed hope.

John Lennon

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:25:47 +0000

Imagine There's No Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:35:01 +0000

Imagine There’s No Hunger: In the spirit of John & Yoko’s benevolence, money will be raised to help benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee during the exhibit of "Come Together" - The Artwork of John Lennon. From April 29 - May 1, come to the Former Grays Drugs Building in Franklin, TN to view nearly 100 different drawings and songwriting lyrics John executed from his youth in 1964 to his untimely death in 1980, including four new releases that are being shown in Franklin, Tennessee for the first time.

Skip AEGIS 1

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:33:45 +0000

SKip AEGIS 2

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:35:20 +0000

Skip AEGIS

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:37:59 +0000

Skip AEGIS 4

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:39:44 +0000

Skip AEGIS 4

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:40:56 +0000

Skip AEGIS 5

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:42:36 +0000

AEGIS Skip Lunch Feed A Bunch Cookout Provides 24,000 Meals

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:52:59 +0000

Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch is in full swing! We are more than halfway to our goal of raising 200,000 meals for hungry men, women and children in Middle Tennessee. Thanks to the overwhelming support from those who've opted to skip lunch and donate their lunch money to feed those in need, we will be able to feed hope this spring for thousands of people.

Last week, we gave you some great ways to participate in our Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch campaign. AEGIS Sciences Corporation held a Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch Cookout, encouraging their employees and others to participate and donate $5 upon entry. AEGIS provided all of the food and thanks to Patrick Campbell, Jeff Fisher and Brandie Shea this was a very successful event. They coordinated the cookout and rallied all of their contacts and friends in the Metro Center area and beyond.

It was their passion and creativity that made this cookout such a success. Those who participated in the event included AEGIS employees, neighboring companies in Metro Center and others. The cookout brought in $3,000, with many people and companies donating more than the encouraged $5 donation. AEGIS was so moved by the success of the cookout, they decided to match the donations, and the cookout ended with a grand total of $6,000! At Second Harvest, every dollar donated provides four meals. The $6,000 will provide 24,000 meals to our hungry neighbors. When we each give a little, it can mean a lot to those in need. We are so thankful for AEGIS and all of those who chose to skip lunch and join AEGIS in their support of Second Harvest. Together we will continue to fight hunger and feed hope. Patrick from AEGIS April is not over, which means you still have time to Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch! Click here to learn more about the Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch campaign. If you or your company is interested in gathering group participation to support this campaign please email us! View more photos from the AEGIS Skip Lunch, Feed A Bunch cookout here!

Al

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:08:07 +0000

Lifetime Service Award: Mr. Al Town

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:09:08 +0000

Al Towne lives the volunteer life. His service to family and community inspires others, making it our privilege and honor to award him with the Lifetime Service Award of Second Harvest Food Bank. Al made family his first responsibility. He raised three children by himself while serving as a full time letter carrier. He is a devoted grandfather, who teaches by words and deeds, the importance of volunteerism. You can find Al every Tuesday and Thursday morning here at Second Harvest in our Food2Families room. He also helps teach new volunteers the art of food sorting. Since 1989 (22 years!) Al has volunteered with Second Harvest, including sorting food for the Emergency Food Box program, delivering food barrels to businesses and helping at our largest food drives. In addition to being a veteran of the US Navy, many organizations have claimed Al as one of their shining examples of volunteerism, including YMCA, House of Blessing and a summer camp for disadvantaged children that he helps maintain. He has sorted enough food at Second Harvest over the years to feed over half a million people. Please join us in thanking Al, and honoring him with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee Lifetime Service Award.

Back Camera

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:36:15 +0000

GM Announces $25,000 Grant for Second Harvest

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:36:37 +0000

SPRING HILL — Officials with General Motors announced a $25,000 donation to Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee Tuesday at the Spring Hill manufacturing plant. That’s enough to provide 100,000 meals across the agency’s 46-county service area, said Second Harvest President/CEO Jaynee Day. “This is so important and so critical to the work we do,” she said. The community grant comes through the GM Foundation. Site Manager Terri Burden said the donation supports an important nonprofit operation to the plant workers. Read the rest of the article from The Tennessean here.

First Harvest Cafe 4/29: Caribbean Get Away

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:10:49 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Caribbean Get Away

Caribbean Spinach Salad

Sweet Potatoes Island Style

Caribbean Grilled Chicken

Jerk Pork Loin

Johnny Cakes

Black Beans and Rice

Jamaican Ginger Bread

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch. Help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Nashville Predators Playoffs Food Drive

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:05:05 +0000

The Nashville Predators Hockey Team is supporting our mission to feed hungry people by collecting food donations during the Plaza Party before Games 3 and 4 of the playoffs. Cheer on the Nashville Predators as they take on the Canucks, and help feed hungry people by dropping off non-perishable food donations to the Second Harvest tent at the Game 3 Plaza Party on Tuesday, May 3 from 5 - 8 p.m. and the Game 4 Plaza Party on Thursday, May 5 from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. Food donation barrels will also be located near entrances to the Bridgestone Arena. Second Harvest’s most needed items are Canned Chicken and Tuna, Peanut Butter, Canned Fruit, Soups and Vegetables, Cereal and Pasta.

news5

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:13:56 +0000

$15,000 Donation from Landmark Foundation and The News Channel 5 Network

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:16:08 +0000

Jaynee Day, President and CEO of Second Harvest, accepted a $15,000 donation from Landmark Foundation and The News Channel 5 Network. We are so grateful for this generous donation!

Camden Perishable 5

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:18:21 +0000

Camden Perishable 3

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:18:51 +0000

Perishable Route Makes a Big Impact

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:21:24 +0000

Second Harvest’s “Perishable Route” provides free produce, bread/bakery and deli items for our Partner Agencies. All items are provided through our grocery rescue program, Middle Tennessee’s Table. The Perishable Route runs to Camden, Benton County, twice a month and allows several Partner Agencies to supplement their pantries. One of our Partner Agency recipients, New Beginnings Church of God, does something different. They immediately distribute the food to clients within one hour of the Second Harvest truck unloading. Cindi Anderson and Lyle Van Lew, along with other volunteers, distribute food to 75-125 families twice a month. The Perishable Route helps members of this community so much that families are already in line, no matter the weather, when the truck arrives.

Dollar General is Stamping Out Hunger in May

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 04 May 2011 17:16:07 +0000

In partnership with our Stamp Out Hunger campaign, Dollar General will host a month-long food drive at all of their Middle Tennessee store locations during the month of May.

Disaster Relief for Alabama

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:41:59 +0000

The recent tornado-producing storms greatly affected our neighbors in Alabama. We need to join together and assist them during their recovery process. Here are a few ways you can help in the disaster relief for Alabama. Volunteer to Pack Disaster Relief Boxes This week, Second Harvest is packing disaster relief boxes filled with the essential products the storm victims need to bring some relief during this tragic time. You can volunteer to help pack disaster relief boxes by emailing volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org. We have many volunteer shifts available to work with your scheduling needs. Donate to Alabama Food Banks Food banks can do so much with just one dollar, especially during a disaster. Monetary gifts will allow the food banks to purchase the necessary products that their area needs the most. Below are two Alabama food banks that are also members of Feeding America. Community Food Bank of Central Alabama 107 Walter Davis Drive Birmingham , AL 35209 205.942.8911 http://www.feedingal.org/ Larry Logan, uwcfb@bellsouth.net Community Food Bank of North Alabama 2000 B. Vernon Ave. P.O. Box 18607 Huntsville , AL 35805 256.539.2256 http://www.fbofna.org/ Dick Hiatt, patgilli@fbofna.org While food drives are a great way to donate and help hungry people, due to the urgency of this disaster it is best to make a monetary donation to these Alabama food banks so food can be purchased and distributed faster. If you live in Alabama or know someone who does, they are encouraged to bring food donations directly to Alabama food banks.

First Harvest Cafe 5/6: Cajun Salute

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 05 May 2011 14:05:20 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Cajun Salute

Mixed Greens with a Home Mardi Gras Dressing

Chicken Creole

Cajun Fried Cat Fish

Red Beans and Rice

Corn on the Cobb

Bread Pudding with Bourbon Cream Sauce

For $12 per person (tax included,) you receive a great lunch. and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Legal Food Fight Tool Kit 2011

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:27:14 +0000

LFF2011

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:28:54 +0000

Participate in our Legal Food Fight May 9 - 27

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:33:44 +0000

In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 6 Tennesseans, hunger is a reality. Many people believe the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different. Thousands of Tennesseans in our 46 county service area are facing hunger:

31% percent of our clients are under 18 years old
6% are seniors
19% are homeless
28% percent of our client households report having at least one-employed adult in the household.

Because of these statistics, I would encourage your firm and all of Nashville’s Legal Community to stand against hunger by joining the 2011 Legal Food Fight. Our Legal Food Fight Campaign is a virtual food drive competition that will run from May 9th through May 27th this year. Participants will be provided a web address unique to the Legal Food Fight Campaign. Firms, legal professionals, paralegals, family, and friends can go online to make a donation and designate their gift to any participating law firm. Once the campaign is over, the winning firms will be announced during a wrap-up event hosted by Second Harvest Food Bank. Winning firms, along with individuals who donate $150 or more, will be highlighted in a Nashville Business Journal advertisement. Once your firm decides to join the Legal Food Fight, an internal campaign advocate will need to be assigned, and a Legal Food Fight Tool Kit will be provided. This person will utilize toolkit materials to encourage colleagues to donate. Being a campaign advocate is a fun and easy assignment, and takes very little time! For every $1 donated, Second Harvest Food Bank can provide 4 meals. Your generosity will have a direct impact in the fight against hunger in our communities. If your firm is interested in participating or would like additional information, please contact Heidi Tieslau at 615-627-1581 or heidi.tieslau@secondharvestmidtn.org . Together we can fight hunger and feed hope. Join this list of firms participating in the Legal Food Fight. Adams and Reese LLP Baker Donelson: Bearman, Caldwell, & Berkowitiz, PC Bass, Berry, Sims PLC Boone Law PLLC Bradley Arant Boult Cummings Burr Forman Farrar & Bates, L.L.P. Law Office of Matt Potempa Miller and Martin Sherrard & Roe Waller Landsen: Waller Landsen Dortch & Davis

stamp out hunger-Poster-

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 11 May 2011 14:19:38 +0000

STAMP OUT HUNGER This Saturday May 14

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 11 May 2011 14:22:17 +0000

Help us raise 1 million pounds of food and Stamp Out Hunger this Saturday, May 14! Stamp Out Hunger is the Nation's largest single-day food drive, locally sponsored by Dollar General. Letter carriers are prepared to pick up your bag of non-perishable food items and donate them for you! All you need to do is place your food donation in a bag and place the bag near your mailbox Saturday morning! If your mailbox is located in a communal area or in an apartment complex, simply place the bag in mailbox area. Your local letter carrier is expecting your donation and will gladly collect it for you. Most letter carriers are placing a plastic bag in mailboxes this week, but if you don't receive one, you can use any bag around your house! You can purchase your non-perishable food items at your local Dollar General store or your local grocery store. Our most needed food items are peanut butter, canned meat, canned vegetables, canned fruit, pasta, and cereal. If you are unable to place your bag of food items by your mailbox Saturday morning, or your letter carrier has already collected, you can Stamp Out Hunger by heading to your local Dollar General store an donating our items in their collection bins. Through the month of May, Dollar General is hosting a food drive at all locations in our 46-county service area! Our goal is to raise 1 million pounds of food during Stamp Out hunger and we need your help to make this happen! Hunger is a reality for 1 in 6 Tennesseans. Raising 1 million pounds of food will provide thousands of meals for our hungry neighbors. Get your food items tonight at Dollar General and help us Stamp Out Hunger! Stamp Out Hunger is rain or shine! In case of rain, we suggest double bagging your food donation and tying it closed.

First Harvest Cafe 5/13: American Road House

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:01:44 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

American Road House

Toss Fresh Greens with Homemade Ranch Dressing

Buttermilk Marinated Fried Chicken

Jason’s Favorite Meatloaf and Gravy

Sautéed Zucchini

Brownies and Ice Cream

Buy 2 Tickets to Generous Helpings 2011 on Friday when you come to First Harvest Café and receive your meal for free!

Stamp Out Hunger Totals for Davidson County

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:34:19 +0000

We would like to thank everyone who participated in Stamp Out Hunger this past Saturday. This one-day food drive raised 89,642 pounds of food in Davidson County! We will not have the totals for our outlying counties for another two weeks. We would like to give a special thank you to the letter carriers who collected and donated all of the food. We know it is a very long, hard day for most of you and we greatly appreciate your support during our Stamp Out Hunger campaign! If you were unable to put out your food donation on Saturday or if your letter carrier was unable to collect in your area, you can take your donation to any Dollar General location during the month of May and continue to Stamp Out Hunger. You can also donate to our Stamp Out Hunger virtual food drive here!

Cooks Rule Cooking Camps

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:32:25 +0000

If you have culinary interests, and are between the ages of 10 and 18, then this is your opportunity to get hands-on training in a commercial kitchen under the guidance of working chefs. Cooks Rule Cooking Camps will offer aspiring chefs a chance to pursue their culinary dreams. Below are the different cooking classes offered. Global Cuisine - June 20-24, 2011 from 10am-2pm $375. For young chefs ages 13 to 18, this cooking class will teach basic techniques while focusing on a special menu from different regions of the world. Advanced Skills 201 - July 11-15, 2011 from 10am-2pm $375. For young chefs ages 13 to 18, this class will offer advanced culinary techniques while broadening basic cooking skills with reduction sauces, herb rubs, dressing and marinades, pastry making and baking. Farmers' Market Bounty - July 18-22, 2011 from 10am-2pm $375. For young chefs ages 13 to 18, this class offers is organic and local experience. Classes will include basic knife skills, classic stock making and other sauces, shopping and produce selection (including a visit to the Nashville Farmers’ Market), use of fresh herbs, cook top techniques—saute, caramelize, blanch, poach, oven baking and roasting and plate garnishing. In addition to learning a variety of cooking techniques, you will also experience aspects of life in a commercial kitchen—from safe food handling practices, knife skills, equipment use, and menu planning to execution and creative presentation. At the end of the first four days, you will bring home a complete meal for a family of four; the final day you and your fellow chefs will prepare and serve the luncheon for First Harvest Café, and parents are invited to be guests. Class fees include a class field trip to the Nashville Farmers’ Market, a Cooks Rule apron, recipe cards, a session Technique Guide, four take-home dinners for a family of four and First Harvest Café lunch. If you are interested in any of the Cooks Rule Cooking Camps, please register for one of the sessions above. If you have any other questions please contact Brittany Hansen either by phone at 615-627-1611 or by email at brittany.hansen@secondharvestmidtn.org.

Generous Helpings THIS Thursday May 19

Second Harvest Staff — Mon, 16 May 2011 18:43:13 +0000

Join us this Thursday, May 19, for Generous Helpings, our annual food and wine tasting event at the Nashville Farmers' Market from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. The evening will feature tasting-sized portions of signature dishes from more than 30 local restaurants. Complementary fine wines and craft beers will also be served. Tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the door. Generous Helpings will benefit Middle Tennessee's Table, Second Harvest's grocery rescue program. Our MTT Program has rescued over 4 million pounds of food from its grocery partners over the past year. The formerly named program, Nashville’s Table, merged with Second Harvest in 2005. At the time of the program's inception, it consisted of five donors, five recipient agencies, and a cooler in the back of a station wagon. The program has grown to include more than 150 grocery stores over the past three years enabling Second Harvest to increase the availability of protein rich products and fresh produce in all 46 counties included in Second Harvest’s service area. Get your tickets today for only $40! Here are this year's participating restaurants: F. Scotts Holland House Mad Platter Nashville State CC Culinary Arts Second Harvest Food Bank Culinary Arts Center Sweet 16th Bakery Table 3 tayst Watermark Pied Piper Creamery Pied Piper Eatery Provence Breads & Café Chappy’s On Church Fido mAmbu perl Catering Miel Eastland Café Fish & Co. Midtown Café Sunset Grille Cabana Caffé Nonna The Local Taco Amerigo Italian Restaurant SOL Red Pony 55 South Noshville Porta Via MacK and Kate's Cafe Kroger Chef Shoppes Park Cafe

First Harvest Cafe 5/20: Santa Fe Fajita Buffet

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:20:39 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet

House Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Sautéed Green and Red Peppers with Sautéed Onions

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Dry Rubbed Grilled Flank Steak

Vegetarian Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)

Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream, and Shredded Cheese

Mexican Rice

Nachos

Key Lime Bars

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch. Help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Check out Second Harvest Volunteer, Chef Nancy's food blog "Good Food Matters"

photo

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 20 May 2011 18:46:16 +0000

Eight-Year-Old Sydnie Raises $2,000 to Fight Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 20 May 2011 18:48:56 +0000

Sydnie is an 8-year-old inspiration from Manchester, Tenn. She was born with the desire to help those less fortunate and she's chosen Second Harvest as the recipient of her generosity on multiple occasions. Even in her young age, she has provided almost 10,000 meals for hungry people by raising food and funds this year. We first told you about Sydnie when she won our Brad Paisley Food Drive in February. She raised then donated 1,753 pounds of food winning premium seats and backstage passes to meet Brad Paisley. This week, Sydnie presented a check for $2,000 to Second Harvest which she raised from her family yard sale. Even after her large food donation, Sydnie wanted to continue helping others. With the help of her family, she held a yard sale and sold food and drinks to raise money to fight hunger. When Sydnie did not reach her $2,000 goal from the yard sale, she turned to local businesses for help. With their added donations Sydnie met her goal and proudly presented her $2,000 check which will provide 8,000 meals for hungry people in our service area. Sydnie has shown us all that you can fight hunger at any age. With her creativity and generous heart she has helped so many people. Sydnie is determined to continue helping others. We look forward to bringing you more stories about Sydnie as she continues to fight hunger and feed hope!

First Harvest Cafe 5/27: Tuscan Holiday

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 26 May 2011 19:44:56 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Tuscan Holiday

Caesar Salad

Angel Hair Pasta w/ Swiss Chard, Golden Raisins, and Pine nuts

Ziti with Broccoli and Sundried Tomato

Chicken Marsala

Mini Italian Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches

Panna Cotta with South Carolina Peaches

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 26 May 2011 19:53:57 +0000

Food items collected through food drives help feed the 21,000 people who receive emergency food assist provided by Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee each week. The need remains critical, even during the summer months. Second Harvest is experiencing a shortfall of 150,000 pounds of food. You can help by organizing a food drive during the month of June and collect critically needed items such as peanut butter, cereal, pasta and canned vegetables, fruit and meat. Did you know that 31% of those who receive food assistance from Second Harvest Food Bank are under the age of 18? The issue of food insecurity (not knowing where your next meal will come from) is a reality for many children. 1 in 5 children in Tennessee are at risk of hunger. Many children rely on the free and reduced meals they receive at school. The summer means those guaranteed meals are no longer available and a child’s chance of hunger increases. We are constantly fighting against the epidemic of childhood hunger. As the problem worsens while children are out of school, your help is more critical than ever. To make it as easy as possible, Second Harvest will provide collection boxes and a Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation Tool Kit 2011 for you to get started. If you wish, you can also register your organization on our Virtual Food Drive site and help raise funds to purchase additional food resources at the same time. Please consider registering your organization today, and help Second Harvest provide much needed assistance in the 46 communities we serve throughout the summer months. Together, we can fight hunger and feed hope. If you would like to host a food drive or would like more information, please email Heidi Tieslau at food.drives@secondharvestmidtn.org You can also donate to the "Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation" Virtual Food Drive.

HungerFoodDrive

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 31 May 2011 13:54:38 +0000

sh_bringhope

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:08:53 +0000

Help Kroger Bring Hope to the Table NOW-June 11th

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:10:24 +0000

Bringing Hope to the Table, Kroger’s annual campaign to support food banks across the county is back! From now until June 11th, Kroger will be donating a percentage of sales from every product sold with a specially marked “Bringing Hope to the Table” shelf tag to Second Harvest Food Bank. And…there are hundreds of items to choose from! Melissa Eads, Community Relations Manager at Kroger, says, “Feeding the hungry is a key focus area of giving for Kroger. Bringing Hope to the Table allows us to contribute 3 million dollars company-wide to over 80 food banks across the 31 states where Kroger operates.” Let’s all join together with Kroger and “Bring Hope to the Table!” Together we can fight hunger and feed hope.

1in6FoodDrive

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 31 May 2011 15:56:05 +0000

ctwoh_champion

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:10:45 +0000

Champion Windows is “Closing the Window on Hunger” all summer long

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:11:10 +0000

1 in 5 children in Middle Tennessee are hungry. This summer, Champion Windows wants to Close the Window on childhood hunger in our community and across the nation. From June 1st to August 31st, Champion Windows will donate 50 pounds of food for every sales call made and 100 pounds of food for every order purchased to Second Harvest Food Bank. Help Champion Windows and Second Harvest Food Bank “Close the Window on Hunger.” For more information on how you can help Close the Window on Hunger, visit www.closethewindowonhunger.com.

First Harvest Cafe 6/3: Summer French Cruise

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:11:28 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Summer French Cruise

Salade Niçoise Blanched and chilled baby green beans and new potatoes, hard boiled eggs, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers and grilled tuna.

Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Orzo Salad With roasted fennel

Strawberry Calfouti

Iced Tea, lemon

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Celebrity Volunteer Event with Ladies' Home Journal and CMT One Country

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:52:35 +0000

Second Harvest was proud to host the kickoff event for the new charity partnership of Ladies' Home Journal and CMT One Country. Local artists took time out of their busy CMA week schedules and volunteered their time to pack BackPacks for hungry children. One in five Tennessee children go to bed hungry every night. Our BackPack program provides nutritious meals for children to take home over the weekends when other resources are not available. BackPacks are also given to the children during the summer months. This event is symbolic of the donation that CMT makes every year on behalf of artists in lieu of having celebrity giftbags at the CMT Music Awards. Representatives of Ladies' Home Journal, CMT and country acts Steel Magnolia, Carter's Chord, Crystal Bowersox, Jimmy Wayne, Margaret Durante and Coldwater Jane volunteered alongside Second Harvest volunteers to help fight childhood hunger in Middle and West Tennessee. Check out the pictures on our Facebook page!

The Carrie Underwood Fan Club Volunteers During CMA Week

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:44:48 +0000

This is the second year for the Carrie Underwood Fan Club, Team Carrie, to volunteer with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee during CMA Week. Team Carrie is not only a fan of Carrie Underwood, but they are also a big fan of making a change in their community. Though Carrie Underwood could not join her fan club for her fan club's volunteer day, members of Team Carrie did speak with the country artists at a show this week and told her about their volunteer opportunity at Second Harvest. Maybe she can join her fan club on their volunteer day next year! Check out pictures of Team Carrie volunteering on our Facebook page!

First Harvest Cafe 6/10: Don's Sports Bar Favorites

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:07:49 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Don’s Sports Bar Favorites

Cole Slaw

Celery and Carrot Sticks with Blue Cheese Dressing

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Hot Wings

Smoked Brisket of Beef with Kansas City BBQ Sauce

Home Made Brownies

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch. Help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation Tool Kit 2011

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:36:53 +0000

image002

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:13:14 +0000

Mt. Juliet Church Holds First Mobile Pantry

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:13:38 +0000

The Mt. Juliet First Church of God hosted their first Mobile Pantry over the weekend. The Mobile Pantry fed 208 families and helped the Senior Citizens Awareness Network (S.C.A.N.) program. Church members and volunteers also delivered food items to 20 families who either wanted to remain anonymous or were homebound. Volunteers from ages six to 82 came to distribute the food to help feed hungry people in their community. A Mobile Pantry is a traveling food pantry that delivers food directly to agencies or nonprofits to hold a one-day, large scale distribution for people in need. Each Mobile Pantry is coordinated with a community organization and a Second Harvest truck delivers the food for distribution. Those who attend the Mobile Pantry receive a large box of food which includes perishable and nonperishable food items, fresh produce, personal care items, and household cleaning products. Our Mobile Pantry program makes a huge impact in our service area. This program is one of the best ways we can provide assistance to rural communities in our service area. The volunteers of Mt. Juliet First Church of God worked together to fight hunger and feed hope in their community. For more information on our Mobile Pantry program and how you can get involved click here.

Salvation Army Needs Volunteers

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:58:34 +0000

The Salvation Army needs volunteers for their Emergency Food Box Pantry. Volunteers are needed to help out from 1 - 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the month of June. Volunteers will assist clients, stock shelves, organize paperwork and other duties as needed. Please email volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org for scheduling and more details!

First Harvest Cafe 6/17: Cajun Salute

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:38:12 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Cajun Salute

Mixed Green Salad with Homemade Mardi Gras Dressing

Chicken Creole

Shrimp, Okra and Smoked Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Rice

Green Beans Almondine

Bourbon Street Bread Pudding

For $12 per person (tax included,) you receive a great lunch. and help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:45:19 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:46:30 +0000

Mayor Karl Dean Makes a Food Donation

Second Harvest Staff — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:49:41 +0000

Mayor Karl Dean and his supporters heard about our need for more food donations this summer and they responded. The campaign to re-elect Mayor Dean asked supporters to donate food items at a series of neighborhood meetings in response to Second Harvest's 150,000 pound shortfall of food donations and the increased need for food assistance. Mayor Dean delivered the collected food items and made a donation of more than 500 pounds of food to the Food Bank today! You can also host a Food Drive this summer and help fight hunger in our community. Email food.drives@secondharvestmidtn.org to get started today! [caption id="attachment_2283" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="Mayor Karl Dean delivering the food donation at the Food Bank. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_2284" align="aligncenter" width="376" caption="Mayor Dean and Jaynee Day, the CEO and President of Second Harvest, speaking to the media about the food donation. "][/caption]

Closing the Window on Childhood Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:41:57 +0000

A Glimpse Into Childhood Hunger

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:44:13 +0000

A joyful time of year for most children is when the school year ends and summer begins. All across Middle Tennessee we hear the joyful exclamation, "Summer is here!" But, what we don't hear are the voices of children who know that being out of school means greater uncertainty over where their next meal will come from. According to the most recent study conducted by the USDA's Economic Research Service in 2009, more than 17 million American children are at risk of hunger. These children are experiencing hunger at some point in the year due to lack of household resources required to secure an adequate supply of food. In Middle Tennessee, Second Harvest's Partner Agencies know this statistic all too well. The Lebanon Special School District recently conducted a survey among families whose children actively participate in the weekend BackPack Program (this program discretely provides children at risk of hunger with a bag of nutritious, easy-to-prepare food to take home over the weekend). The survey found that 49% of families with children participating in the BackPack Program ran short of their food supply five or more months per year. One surveyed parent praised the program,

"I would be heartbroken if I had to short my daughter on food. We have been there before and with this program I know she has food in her belly to go with the love I provide."

At Second Harvest, we hear stories like this every day. During the 2009-10 fiscal year, we served over 10,000 children through our BackPack, Kids Cafe and Summer Feeding Programs. However, the need for our services is constantly growing beyond what we are able to provide due to available funding. As the summer begins, children who depend on free and reduced lunches during the school year face an exponentially greater risk of coming face to face with hunger. You can help in our fight against childhood hunger. We need your help to feed children this summer, but also to maintain our programs throughout the up coming school year.

Make a donation. With 31% of our clients under the age of 18, our commitment to feeding hungry children and adults in Middle and West Tennessee is vital. For every $1 donated, we are able to provide 4 meals to those who need it most.
Volunteer with your family, friends or coworkers. Second Harvest offers volunteer opportunities six days a week. We offer many opportunities for you to impact the lives of thousands of Middle Tennesseans, like our Family Night held every Thursday for adults and children (ages 6+) to pack food for our BackPack Program. Email volunteer@secondharvestmidtn.org today!
Host a Food Drive! It's a fun and easy way to make an impact on hunger in our community. Email food.drives@secondharvestmidtn.org to get started!
Donate food at your local Kroger store this summer. Just look for the Second Harvest donation boxes!
Champion Windows is "Closing the Window on Childhood Hunger" and donating food for sales calls and purchases. Get more details here.

First Harvest Cafe 6/24: American Road House

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:41:57 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

American Road House

Cole Slaw

Buttermilk Marinated Fried Chicken

World Famous Hog Heaven Smoked Pork Butt

Sautéed Zucchini

Johnny Cakes

Pecan Bars

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

NPR News "A Squash's Journey: From The Shelf To The Hungry"

Second Harvest Staff — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:47:00 +0000

"Americans waste an estimated 150 billion pounds of food a year. A lot of it comes from supermarkets and other retailers. Food banks increasingly are trying to get their hands on some of that food to help feed the hungry."

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is one of many food banks in the Feeding America network that work with local retailers to rescue their excess food and deliver it to the hungry. Our grocery rescue program, Middle Tennessee's Table, is designed to collect food from grocers that is close to it's sale by date, and distribute these items to our 400+ Partner Agencies in our service area. NPR decided to take a closer look at how this process works. They followed the food through it's journey from the store shelf, to the food bank and ending at the recipient's home. The Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee was chosen by NPR to show how they work with their community grocery partners, like Walmart, to feed hungry people in their service area. Read the full story here.

Guest Blogger: "Volunteering at a Mobile Pantry"

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:19:29 +0000

Our Guest Blogger is Kaitlyn, a marketing intern with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. While she is shadowing the marketing department and assisting with various tasks this summer, she is also experiencing our mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community. Kaitlyn spent last Friday volunteering at a Mobile Pantry in Dickson County with another member of the marketing department. The Mobile Pantry is a traveling food pantry that delivers food directly to agencies to hold a one-day, large-scale food distribution for people in need. She left the Mobile Pantry that day with a true sense of what Second Harvest is all about. In Kaitlyn's own words, read about her experience below. Can you imagine not being able to provide food for the members of your family or worrying about where your next meal was going to come from? Being able to volunteer and help give food to families in need was an unbelievable experience. At the Mobile Pantry, I was assigned to the watermelon station. Every person that came by was so appreciative that I was giving up my time to help him or her. Seeing first hand how thankful everyone was made my job of picking up the heavy watermelons very simple. I even learned a few new tricks to let me know if a watermelon was ripe or not. Many of the volunteers that were working with me had received food from the food pantry before. It’s pretty amazing that some of these people came back to help others who are now in the same situation they once were. Knowing that I spent my day bettering multiple families’ lives was both rewarding and worthwhile. How many people can say they spent their day doing something truly meaningful? However, when it comes down to it, isn’t that what we are all supposed to be doing anyways? It’s pretty easy to take advantage of the small things in life, the things that most of us go without thinking about. The things like food. For these people, this isn’t just a secondary thought in their mind. It’s a primary concern and a constant struggle. All they need is a little help and the confidence to keep going. So I leave you with this: who have you helped today and how are you going to make a difference in the world?

First Harvest Cafe 7/1: Independence Day Grill Out

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:08:27 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Independence Day Grill Out

Cole Slaw

My Mother’s favorite Bake Bean s

Grilled BBQ Chicken

Handmade Hamburger Patties

Relish and Topping Bar

Root Beer Floats

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch. Help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:15:03 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:17:34 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:19:46 +0000

Mobile Pantry in Henry County

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:21:27 +0000

[caption id="attachment_2311" align="aligncenter" width="265" caption="Volunteers setting up the food for distribution at the Henry County Mobile Pantry "][/caption] Second Harvest staff members joined local volunteers to assist in a Mobile Pantry distribution on Wednesday in Henry County. The Mobile Pantry is a traveling food pantry. Second Harvest delivers food directly to agencies to hold a one-day, large-scale food distribution for people in need. The Mobile Pantry has allowed Second Harvest to expand our services and reach more people living in poverty in rural areas. [caption id="attachment_2312" align="aligncenter" width="344" caption="Henry County residents receiving food items at the Mobile Pantry"][/caption] People in need are invited to attend and receive a large box of food, which includes perishable and nonperishable food items, fresh produce, personal care items, and household cleaning products. All of the food is distributed within several hours. [caption id="attachment_2313" align="aligncenter" width="277" caption="Volunteers listening to instructions for the Mobile Pantry "][/caption] Volunteers at the Henry County Mobile Pantry distributed over 25,000 pounds of food to 305 families, with 956 individuals fed. Thank you to all of the volunteers and everyone who made this Mobile Pantry such a blessing for the hungry men, women and children in Henry County! Together we will fight hunger and feed hope.

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:57:27 +0000

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Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:59:20 +0000

Grand Opening of Westmoreland Food Bank

Second Harvest Staff — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:00:46 +0000

[caption id="attachment_2318" align="aligncenter" width="287" caption="The grand opening of the Westmoreland Food Bank"][/caption] Amazing Grace Mission, a Partner Agency of Second Harvest, celebrated the grand opening of the Westmoreland Food Bank at it's new location on Friday, July 1. The Westmoreland Food Bank is located at 1037 Park Street in Westmoreland, Tenn. The Food Bank's new location will make feeding hungry people in their community much easier. We are so thankful to have them as our partner in the fight against hunger! [caption id="attachment_2319" align="aligncenter" width="237" caption="Shelves full of food at the Westmoreland Food Bank"][/caption]

First Harvest Cafe 7/8: Fajita Buffet

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:12:26 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center At Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Santa Fe Chuck Wagon Fajita Buffet

House Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Sautéed Green and Red Peppers with Sautéed Onions

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Dry Rubbed Grilled Flank Steak

Vegetarian Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)

Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream, and Shredded Cheese

Mexican Rice

Nachos

Key Lime Bars

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch. Help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.

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Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:38:15 +0000

Ask and you shall receive

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:49:24 +0000

"Ask and you shall receive"

That simple proverb proved to be true for McGavock Elementary teacher, Terry Sensing, last December. Mr. Sensing was walking his dog in his neighborhood when he met Reneé Thompson, Director of Philanthropy at Second Harvest Food Bank. As they chatted, Sensing conveyed a simple request.

“We have 5 homeless and 15 indigent children at our school. Could you send food for us to give them over the holiday break?” A few days later, Ms. Thompson met with Dr. Shane Witherow, a local orthodontist and Second Harvest donor. As she told him about the impact of Second Harvest’s programs, including the BackPack Program, she mentioned the need at McGavock Elementary. When presented with the opportunity to provide food for 20 children for the rest of the school year, Dr. Witherow jumped at the chance. This April, Dr. Witherow and Ms. Thompson visited McGavock Elementary at the invitation of Mr. Sensing. As they walked through the halls on a Friday afternoon delivering BackPacks, the children showed their gratitude through spontaneous hugs and ear-to-ear grins. One child said, “You made my mom smile.” [caption id="attachment_2327" align="aligncenter" width="175" caption="Dr. Witherow visited McGavock Elementary in April and met with students who received food for the weekends through the BackPack Program"][/caption] Dr. Witherow says, “It’s truly a blessing to help, and I want to tell others so maybe they can do something as well. The kids touched my heart, and I’m looking forward to supporting them again next year.” Ms. Thompson reflects, “Anyone we cross paths with, on any given day, could be the link that puts us in touch with a child that needs food.” With 1 in 5 children in Tennessee at risk of hunger, we need your help to sustain our Children's Feeding Programs throughout the year.

You can follow in Dr. Witherow's footsteps and make a donation today.

This story was also featured in our monthly newsletter, Food Fight. Join our email list today and join our fight against hunger.

First Harvest Cafe 7/15: Tuscan Holiday

Second Harvest Staff — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:57:47 +0000

You are invited to lunch!

First Harvest Café

In the Culinary Arts Center at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee 331 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter 11 AM to 1 PM

This Friday‘s Lunch:

Tuscan Holiday

Panzanella Tomato, cucumber and bread salad

Penne With oven roasted eggplant, zucchini, peppers and onions All from local farms

Lasagna Bolognese

Chicken Picata With lemons and capers

Homemade Panna Cotta With fresh peaches

For $12 per person, you receive a great lunch, And help Second Harvest feed hungry people who are in need.