The five Feeding America food banks in Tennessee have announced their non-profit organizations are forming a statewide alliance to better serve the 1-in-8 citizens facing hunger.
The “Tennessee Food Bank Association,” will include the following Food Banks:
- Chattanooga Area Food Bank (Chattanooga)
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee (Nashville)
- Mid-South Food Bank (Memphis)
- Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee (Knoxville)
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee (Kingsport)
Collectively, the food banks work with more than 1,600 partner agencies across all 95 Tennessee counties. In 2022, the five organizations distributed more than 100 million nutritious meals across the state. Similar alliances exist in 21 states across the country.
In a joint statement, the five food banks’ CEOs said of the Association: “Over the years, all of us have worked together with the sole focus of ensuring equitable access to nutritious food for our neighbors in need and to eliminate hunger in our communities. This Association will formalize that relationship while positioning the food banks to better provide Tennesseans food. We are all stronger together and we could not be more excited for the future and working together in this worthy cause.”
Officials from the Association pointed to many benefits of the alliance. The Association will strengthen statewide awareness of food insecurity, protect and grow current federal and state food funding programs, provide greater efficiency and efficacy among shared programs, elicit greater statewide representation and advocacy at the state, federal, and Feeding America levels, and establish educational authority on food insecurity to all key stakeholders.
Food Bank representatives said the official launch of the Association will occur later this year, and a nationwide search will ensue for its Executive Director.