Second Harvest Food Bank Of East Tennessee

Our Mission

Second Harvest Food Bank is leading our community in the fight to end hunger. We provide food, services, and education to address nutritional needs of all people at risk in an 18-county service area, including: Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Cumberland, Fentress, Hamblen, Grainger, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union. Food banks are by far the single most important source of food for nonprofit agencies in East Tennessee, accounting for 78% of the food distributed by pantries, 68% of the food distributed by soup kitchens, and 54% of the food distributed by shelters and drug-rehab centers. Many of the agencies who feed the hungry would not be able to keep their doors open were it not for Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. Second Harvest Food Bank provides the following services to meet the needs of our communities: 1) Distributes over 15 million meals of food annually through six major food-distribution programs. 2) Recovers 8 million pounds of perishable foods that would otherwise be discarded, and redistributes that food to local soup kitchens, food pantries, and senior facilities who directly serve the hungry. 3) Provides supplemental food for over 12,150 elementary school children over the weekends during the school year. 4) Collaborates with Knox County Community Action Committee and the Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service Inc. to meet the nutritional needs of approximately 950 seniors through our Senior Outreach. 5) Administers Federal Food Programs (USDA) for local agencies. 6) Provides education for partners agencies, including ServSafe training.