Hayden Dunbar

There are some stigmas around canned food items, like the belief that it is “unhealthy” in comparison to fresh or frozen foods. While fresh and frozen produce, proteins, and dairy might be what you choose for you and your family, Second Harvest is here to break the stigma behind canned foods. 

Amidst the hustle and bustle of accomplishing New Year’s resolutions and re-establishing routines, we want to encourage you to take this month not as a time to sprint full-speed ahead, but rather to slow down and consider the new year intentionally and deliberately. What do you wish to bring into 2024 with you? Are there new things you’d like to try? How can you be a good friend to your neighbors — and yourself?

At Second Harvest, $1 typically provides 3 meals, but on DYD, $1 provides 6 entire meals for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity in East Tennessee. We hope you’ll join us in giving back on this exciting day!

The leaves are changing colors, meals are being shared, and we’ve noticed a renewed sense of togetherness as the year draws to a close. Here at Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, this time of year also means reflecting on our blessings.

There are a variety of reasons that may keep people from accessing food banks or pantries — uncertainty of where to go, concern over qualifications or paperwork — but it’s clear that the stigma around food-bank usage is one factor preventing people from utilizing the resources they need.