Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee’s biggest fundraiser of the year is just around the corner! Double Your Donation Day is coming up on December 7th, and from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., every gift made will be doubled — meaning you have a chance to make your impact go twice as far. 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!
What Makes This Year Different
The USDA’s Economic Research Service recently released its report on Household Food Insecurity in the United States in 2022. The numbers have revealed that 1 in 7 people in the U.S. are now living in food insecure households, and 1 in 5 children are living in food insecure households. This marks a 31% increase from last year — and the largest one-year increase in food insecurity since 2008.
Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, Feeding America CEO, spoke about the findings: “This news is heartbreaking, but sadly, it is not surprising. People facing hunger have shared with us that the end of pandemic-era relief efforts and the high cost of food have impacted their ability to make ends meet.”
She also noted that while these numbers rise, donations — in all forms — have decreased since the pandemic. Additionally, food banks across the country are struggling to source the same amount and variety of fresh, nutritious food.
We’ve felt the effects at our Food Bank as well. This past year has been a record year for us here at Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. As the price of food rises, we’ve seen an increase in those utilizing our resources.
We’ve distributed more food this year than ever before. We’re currently distributing an average of around 2 million pounds of food each month. To put this increase into perspective, last fiscal year, we provided the community with 6 tractor-trailer loads of canned green beans, and that amount was sufficient for all 18 of our counties. Now, just halfway through this fiscal year, demand has been so high that we’ve already ordered 5 tractor-trailer loads of green beans — and more are soon to be on the way.
Our Ask To You
While we’re proud to be able to meet our neighbors’ needs, we can’t do what we do without the generosity of this community. Gifts given next Thursday, December 7th, will ensure we’re able to keep our shelves stocked throughout the winter months, and we’re calling on you to help us do so. Through your support, Second Harvest can continue to provide adequate and regular food access to folks across East Tennessee, no matter what conditions we may face in the year ahead.
Mark your calendars for Double Your Donation Day, coming December 7th, and choose to make the gift that goes twice as far in the fight against hunger.