Did you think of Second Harvest of East Tennessee as just one big food pantry? Not even close. Second Harvest is a massive distribution program, an innovative food bank engaging in outreach initiatives that extend its impact beyond the walls of its 92K-square-foot facility to 673 agencies in 18 East Tennessee communities.
By collaborating with schools, shelters and community partners, it ensures that vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly, receive nutritious meals and essential resources. The food bank also emphasizes sustainability by implementing programs that reduce food waste, such as sourcing surplus food from grocery stores, which not only provides quality products but also educates the community on environmental stewardship.
Volunteers from diverse backgrounds come together to create a welcoming atmosphere, fostering connections that strengthen community ties. Furthermore, the food bank actively involves clients in its decision-making processes, allowing them to voice their needs and preferences, which cultivates a sense of ownership and dignity. This multi-faceted approach not only alleviates immediate hunger but also encourages long-term food security and self-sufficiency, transforming lives and creating a healthier, more equitable community for all.
Focused on efficiency and remaining debt free, Second Harvest is able to produce an efficiency rate of 95-cents of every dollar going to hunger relief programs and not overhead or administrative costs.
Second Harvest’s programs meet the needs of the communities they serve.
- Empowerment Services provided two programs in: Path of Hope and Harvest to Home, serving 88,459 meals in 2024.
- Food for Kids known as the backpack program is in 304 schools serving 15,412 students each week in 2024.
- Food Rescue prevents waste by partnering with food producers, grocery stores, restaurants and farmers, rescuing 843,000 pounds a month in 2024.
- Mobile Pantry served 96,932 neighbors in 2024 by bringing the food bank services directly to the community.
- Agency Partners: Knox County Partners demonstrates how this one county demonstrates an expansive list of partners for whom Second Harvest provides some of their resources.
A sanitary “Cleaning Room” used to repackage bulk dry goods
How does Second Harvest provide 1.83 million meals a month? A Virtual Tour through the operation gives insight into the logistical organization required to accomplish such a feat. There are 61 employees and 38 fleet vehicles, but the volunteers make the wheels stay in motion daily, serving morning and evening shifts, sorting and repackaging food for distribution. The volunteers at Second Harvest provide the labor equivalent to 14 full time staff workers.
Dry food is not the only provided food products as the facility has a massive refrigerator in two sections, one at the temperature for produce and one at the temperature for eggs, cheese and milk. There is an equally enormous freezer to keep frozen foods for distribution.
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- Looking inside the freezer from the door
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- First part of massive refrigerator that is used like a crisper, behind is a cold refrigerator
A unique, refrigerated cargo dock is a one-of-a-kind in Tennessee, allowing trucks to unload product on the dock before it is taken and sorted to the main refrigerator or freezer. If the entire facility was filled to capacity including all the shelves, cooler and freezer, it would empty in about two weeks.
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- Refrigerated dock, blue doors lead to warehouse
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- Snapshot of a few of the shelves at Second Harvest of East Tennessee
KnoxTNToday is partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee and you can too through donations or volunteering as an individual or a group.
Great summary of what happens at Second Harvest. Maybe in future stories, focus on some of the specific programs, like Food Rescue. Rotary International reports that one-third of all food is wasted in the U.S. How can Second Harvest expand Food Rescue to include households?