Tragedy Strikes Local Food Bank

On Monday, February 28th, the rains fell heavy in East Tennessee and localized flooding began to occur.  One of the many businesses destroyed in Knoxville was Second Harvest Food Bank.


Here are few pictures taken by one of the Second Harvest employees.  This is our warehouse parking lot and those are employee cars completely submerged in water. 

In the back you can see our "reefer trailer", used to store any cold food items we can not fit into our cooler/freezer on a given day.  All the vehicles and the trailer are completely destroyed.

Over three feet of water seeped into our warehouse, destroying thousands of pounds of food and valuable equipment, including delivery trucks, fork lifts and offices. 

What happens when the organization that comes to the aid of those in need during disasters BECOMES the one in need?

Ice Cream Social for Second Harvest

Market Street Fountain, located at 1000 Ladd Landing Blvd. in Kingston, TN has teamed up with the Roane County Democratic Party to sponsor an Ice Cream Social to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. 

Please stop by and enjoy some delicious ice cream or join us for lunch while helping those in need.

When:  Saturday, March 5                            
Where:  Market Street Fountain
              1000 Ladd Landing Blvd
              Kingston, TN 37763
Time:  11am until 3pm

For more information or directions to Market Street Fountain, please visit http://www.marketstreetfountain.com/directions.html

AARP's "Drive to End Hunger"

One in six East Tennesseans go hungry every night. Many are seniors who have to make a choice between food and medicine or paying their heating bills.

That’s why AARP is teaming with Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee to collect food at the Women Today Show, sponsored by the Knoxville News-Sentinel, on March 4-6 at the Knoxville Convention Center.  Bring a food donation to our booth (#415) at the Knoxville Convention Center and we'll give you a special gift for joining AARP's “Drive to End Hunger.”

For more information, go to

www.aarp.org/states/tn

http://www.drivetoendhunger.org/

http://www.secondharvestknox.org/

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan social welfare organization with a membership that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. In Tennessee, AARP has more than 650,000 members and 1,000 plus volunteers, who help 50+ Tennesseans with their taxes, learn to drive safely, protect their finances and their health, and have fun living their best lives. AARP and the AARP Foundation have teamed with NASCAR's Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports on a national "Drive to End Hunger."

Harvest Bike Ride

West  Bicycles in Farragut's Village Green Shopping Center, located on the corner of Kingston Pike and Campbell Station Road, is hosting the Harvest Bike Ride benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee.  The ride will take place Saturday, November 6th at 10:00AM.  The ride will start and finish at West Bicycles.

There are ride options available for the whole family! 
Ride Options include:  50 Mile, 30 Mile, and a very casual 8 Mile Neighborhood/Greenway Ride

Riders can register (in store- location above) Monday thru Friday, November 1-5th.  Registration and sign-in Saturday begin at 9:00AM.  All riders MUST wear an event wristband.  Maps will be available to participants at the sign-in.  All donations are welcome, with a suggested donation of $25.

For more information please visit www.westbikes.com

Thank you to West Bikes and all the participating rides for your support of Second Harvest Food Bank. 

Avon Fundraiser for Second Harvest

Avon will be hosting a fundraiser to benefit Second Harvest, October 29th - November 8th, through their website www.youravon.com/mtirotta.  Everyone who places an order will automatically be entered to win a gift basket, just like the one below.

For this week only, 25% of all sales will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank!  There is also free shipping on every order when the code FSANY is used!  Avon has great deals on so many products for women.  Items from skin care to jewelry!  Please visit their website for more details!

www.youravon.com/mtirotta



What's happening in East Tennessee?

You may be hearing Second Harvest mentioned on the radio or see our logo in commercials or on TV more and more these days, and for good reasons!  Everyday our incredible community asks to hold events that will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank and the needy in East Tennessee.  The next two weeks, in particular, are jammed pack with events benefiting Second Harvest.  Here are some of the events, but please check our website for a full listing of upcoming events!

October 9th- Renaissance Farragut:
Renaissance Farragut is planning its third annual Fall Festival Saturday, Oct. 9, with two new events: a chili cook-off and a Little Miss Renaissance Farragut contest. The Fall Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., beginning with Dixie Lee Farmer’s Market. The Fall Festival will be held on the grassy lawn in front of Renaissance, meaning parking will be available at Renaissance and at First Farragut United Methodist Church. For more information please visit http://www.farragutpress.com/articles/2010/09/13075.html

October 9th- HoLa- Hora Latina Festival:
The HoLa festival, reaching it's 11th year, is known for it's rich mix of music, dance, authentic food, the HoLa Passport Activity (a virtual travel through Latin America and Spain) and the Parade of Nations (a visual treat that highlights the varied and colorful costumes of the different regions.  The festival will be located at the 100 Block of S. Gay Street from 11am-8pm.  For more information please visit http://www.holaknoxville.org/festival/index.php

October 8-10th and 15-17th- Parade of Homes:
This year's Parade of Homes will offer you the opportunity to visit many new homes located in the Greater Knoxville area. The builders or their representatives will be on hand to answer your questions while visiting their homes.  With homes in a variety of locations and price ranges, the Parade is the perfect source for anyone planning to buy a new home now or in the future, or for seeing the newest trends in the home building industry.  Be sure to bring a canned food item to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank.
For more information please visit http://www.theparadeofhomesknoxville.com/

October 16th- Second Saturday Wine Tasting:  (on the third Saturday this month)

Campbell Station Wine & Spirits (CSWS) announces its signature series of wine education seminars, Second Saturdays for Second Harvest.  On October 16th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, CSWS will be serving samples of wine and broadening the wine experience of those who attend. The event is held at Granite & Marble Works Showroom - next door to CSWS.  The event is free; however, a suggested minimum donation of $10 will be accepted for Second Harvest Food Bank.  You must be 21 years of age to participate.  For more information on this event; contact info@campbellstationwine.com or contact Pamela Treacy at 865-966-7122. 

October 22nd- Dark Hollow Bank:
The Dark Hollow Band will play a concert to benefit Second Harvest at 8pm on October 22 at the Grove Theater in Oak Ridge. The theater is at High Places Community Church.  The concert is free but everyone is asked to bring canned goods for the food bank.
Check out the Dark Hollow Bank facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-Hollow-Band/70509166339


These are just some of the many many things going on right now for Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee.  If you have any questions about these events please contact Lauren at 865-521-0000. 

Mountain Madness Film Festival

October is a beautiful time of year in East Tennessee, especially in the Gatlinburg, TN area.  This time of year people flock to the mountains to witness the changing of the seasons and the vibrant showing of the leaves.  As if you needed another reason to visit Gatlinburg this time of year, Second Harvest is proud to introduce the Mountain Madness Film Festival (MMFF), running from October 7th to October 10th in beautiful Gatlinburg, TN.

"The mission of MMFF is to celebrate the people, products, and passion involved in the art of motion pictures.  MMFF will provide the community with a cultural institution that inspires, educates and entertains through screenings and events.  MMFF will also provide the makers of films, and the makers of film products, with a unique and powerful opportunity to enjoy together, the fruits of their labors – films."

MMFF will have events, amazing films, panel discussions, and celebrations all with NO ADMISSION PRICE. 

MMFF has chosen several charities that they believe are important to everyone, especially all of those supporting or attending Mountain Madness Film Festival 2010 and Second Harvest has been chosen as one those charities!  Thank you MMFF and Duane Langley for all of your hard work and for choosing Second Harvest Food Bank as one of your charities! 

For more information about Mountain Madness Film Festival, including screenings, events and locations, please visit http://www.mmfilmfestival.com/

DID YOU KNOW:

• Gatlinburg, TN is located in Sevier County
• 15,361 people are at risk of hunger in Sevier County
• Second Harvest distributed 666,080 total meals to Sevier County last year and 288,880 pounds of fresh food, including vegetables and fruit 
• 13 schools participate in the Food for Kids program, helping 834 kids
• Each month nearly 2,900 requests for food assistance are filled in Sevier County

For more information about services offered in Sevier County or other counties in East Tennessee please visit www.secondharvestknox.org

Second Harvest employees volunteer at local pantry

As a part of Hunger Action Month, Second Harvest employees decided to volunteer a few hours on Tuesday at a local food pantry.  The Baptist Center at Western Heights is one of our busiest pantries.  Every Tuesday and Thursday they open their doors to hundreds of families in need.  The Baptist Center has taken a new approach to the food pantry, they allow clients a "supermarket" experience when picking up food.  Instead of being handed a box of already sorted and chosen food items, families are allowed to pick from a selection of foods.  For instance, individuals are given the option between sliced white bread, wheat rolls or pita pockets, boxes of macaroni and cheese, plain noodles or rice, strawberries or grapes.  As families walk through the pantry, they can pick and choose depending on what they want and what their families will eat. 

Each week Second Harvest is visited by hundreds of pantries.  They come to the warehouse to pick up food that they turn around and distribute to individuals in need.  Although we often have the opportunity to visit with pantry workers and volunteers, we rarely have the chance to be there when the food goes out to families.  Being there on the front line of the pantry open hours gave us an opportunity to see how our work at the warehouse actually affects those who receive our food.  On Tuesday the Baptist Center served approximately 400 families, all within 3 hours.  We met young and old, of all backgrounds, each there for various reasons.  We greeted children and babies, mothers and sisters, fathers and grandfathers. 

The Baptist Center is run by a group of organized, caring, hardworking individuals.  People who give up their time to make others' lives better.  Open now for over 15 years, the Baptist Center has their schedule and routine down to an art.  Like many pantries in our area, the Baptist Center relies on volunteers to keep their operation running smoothly.  The employees at Second Harvest enjoyed the opportunity to be some of the many volunteers that helped Tuesday's pantry go so well.  It was a great experience for us to see our agency in action and witness the inter workings of the pantry.  It was also a great reminder to each of us that once the food leaves our warehouse, it goes almost directly into the mouths of our neighbors in need. 

Second Harvest plans to send employees out to pantries to volunteer on a regular basis.  If you would be interested in volunteers at our warehouse, at a local pantry, or with the Second Harvest employees, please contact John Bell at john@secondharvestknox.org .

UT Power Towels- Show your Big Orange Pride and Support Second Harvest

The 19^th Annual Tim Kerin Memorial Drive will be held on Saturday, September 18th before the UT v. Florida home game.  Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, volunteers, staff and the students of the University of Tennessee Ministers Council will be collecting donations and distributing the UT Power Towel for a suggested $5 donation.

The orange and white Power Towels will be available outside of every gate at Neyland Stadium, two hours prior to kickoff.  Second Harvest Food Bank is asking fans to make a donation in exchange for the Power Towel or give $1, enough to provide 3 meals.

“We are so grateful to the University of Tennessee and their fans for supporting Second Harvest Food Bank and this outstanding fundraiser in Tim Kerin’s name,” said Elaine Streno, Executive Director of Second Harvest.

Tim Kerin made a huge impact on UT and the Knoxville community. He came to UT in 1976 as the Head Athletic Trainer.  Kerin was honored as Trainer of the Year by the Tennessee Athletic Trainers Society in 1992 and was elected posthumously into The National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 1993. 

For more information about the Power Towels please contact Second Harvest Food Bank at 865-521-0000 or visit http://www.secondharvestknox.org/

Panera helps Hunger Action Month

Today marks the beginning of Hunger Action Month throughout the nation.  All month long food banks across the United States will be participating in activities to generate awareness about hunger in their communities. 

One of our many partners this month is Panera Bread.  During the month of September, all Knoxville, Alcoa, and Oak Ridge Panera locations will be collecting canned food items to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank.  On October 1st, all collected items will be brought back to the food bank, and later given to individuals in need.  Thank you Panera for partnering with Second Harvest and helping to bring awareness of hunger in our area. 

For the Panera location nearest you, please visit www.panerabread.com

And for more information about Hunger Action Month and what you can do to get involved, please visit
http://www.secondharvestknox.com/newsEvents/hunger_action_month.php

30 Ways in 30 Days

September is our designated "Hunger Action Month", where the goal of food banks across the nation is to increase awareness of hunger in our communities!  We are asking Americans to take action and fight domestic hunger.  The need in our community, and surrounding communities is tremendous, but so is the impact you can make on others lives. 

Below is the link to our Hunger Action Month calendar where each day lists a different way you can help- 30 Ways in 30 Days!
Click on each date to get more details about how you can help! 

http://www.secondharvestknox.com/newsEvents/hunger_action_month.php

Whether it's by advocating and raising awareness, making donations, or giving of your time and energy, find the way that's right for you to make a difference during Hunger Action Month!

Feed Knoxville 2010- Hosted by TCAK

What IF we could make a difference?
What IF we could beat the odds?
What IF we come together working for one goal?
What IF we really CHANGE this city?

These are the questions asked by The Church at Knoxville (TCAK), hosts of Feed Knoxville! 

Feed Knoxville 2010 is a one day food drive event that will be held on Saturday, August 28th at the World's Fair Park's Performance Lawn in Downtown Knoxville!  The hope is that our city can come together, as one, to collect 100,000 items of food to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. 

For every food item you bring to Feed Knoxville, you will receive one ticket that can be placed in a drawing for some great giveaways!

This event will have activities for the whole family, including inflatables, live music, FREE food, cotton candy, and popcorn.  PLUS....the event is completely FREE for the whole family. 

For more information about Feed Knoxville 2010 event, drop off locations, entertainment, and the unbelievable GIVEAWAYS, please visit:
http://www.feedknoxville.com/

For more information about The Church at Knoxville (TCAK) please visit:
http://www.thechurchatknoxville.com/

Irish Festival 2010

Come join us Saturday, August 21st for the East Tennessee Irish Festival to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank!  This festival celebrates Irish culture and will include:  traditional Irish dancing and music, pipe and drum band, traditional Irish and festival style foods, beer tasting garden, "Wee-folk" area for the kids, local entertainers, Irish cultural exhibits, fiddler competitions, traditional and contemporary arts, information about local "Green" industries, craft demonstrations, tug-of-war competitions, Corn-Hole (bean bag toss) competitions, and much, much more. 

Enjoy this incredible festival and help support Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee! 

For more information including tickets, entertainment and event schedule, please visit our website

http://www.secondharvestknox.com/etnirishfest.com/

Or contact:

John Bell

865-521-0000

Just Lead....

Second Harvest would like to say a big THANK YOU to the Burlington Hospitality/AME Zion Church and the Just Lead Ministry for their recent donation!

It's always so amazing to see what only a few people can do to help others in need and give back to the community!  These children above held a lemonade sale to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee!  The lemonade sale raised over $160.00!  That money can help to provide nearly 500 meals!  That's INCREDIBLE!  On behalf of each person you are helping, we say Thank You! 

Way to go guys and keep up the good work!

LMU-DCOM Penny Wars to help feed hungry in East Tennessee

The Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) is a student organization at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM). For two years in a row SOMA has organized a friendly competition among the LMU-DCOM students called “Penny Wars.” Each physician who teaches at LMU-DCOM is part of a patient care interaction course in which students work one-on-one with the physicians. We placed a jar representing each of the doctors in front of our auditoriums, which serve as the main classrooms in the LMU-DCOM building. Students, faculty and staff all donated to the fundraiser. Change dropped into a physician’s jar equaled positive points and dollar bills dropped into a physician’s jar equaled negative points. The idea was to “vote” for the winner by putting as much change as possible into that person’s jar, while putting as many dollar bills as possible into the opponent’s jars. The fundraiser ran for two weeks, with students, faculty and staff all participating. This year alone, SOMA raised over $700 to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee.


The mission of LMU-DCOM is to serve the underserved people of this region, and the fundraiser for Second Harvest was another way that we as students could put this mission into action.

Thank you SOMA and LMU-DCOM for your continued support of Second Harvest Food Bank. Through your efforts thousands of individuals are now receiving meals. On behalf of each person benefiting from your hard work and kindness, we say THANK YOU!

Sherry Johnston supports Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee

Pound for Pound Challenge
Knoxville, TN's very own Sherry Johnston teams up with Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee to help the hungry in our area!  For every pound you pledge to lose between now and June 30th, The Biggest Loser will donate one pound of food to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee!





Way to go, Sherry!  Keep up the good work!

Hunger In America 2010

This time last year, Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee employees and dedicated volunteers took to the streets to take part in the 2009-2010 Hunger Study.  During this time we interviewed hundreds of people in many food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.  While we were conducting our study in East Tennessee, other food banks across the nation were doing the exact same thing.  Below is a video put together by Feeding America, our national affiliate, with some of the statistics we learned during this study.  Although the statistics below are nationwide, Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee received our own statistics with data directly reflecting hunger in East Tennessee. 

We are a funny little food bank....

Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee is a small food bank, compared to other affiliates in the United States.  If you visit our warehouse or office, you might hear us say things like "we wear many hats" or "we are a funny little food bank".  Well, we do....and we are!

With only 28 full-time employees and 3 part-time employees, we all have to be prepared to pitch in and help out with other projects.  It's something we have learned to do well and it often keeps us connected to what's going on with other departments. 

One thing that we depend on, day in and day out is the help of our volunteers.  With so few employees, we have learned that our jobs are nearly impossible without volunteers.  Last year alone, we received over 20,450 hours of service from volunteers!  THAT IS AMAZING!!!

Together with our volunteers, this "funny little food bank" provided over 9.7 million meals last year to those in need in our area, all coming out of our little 21,000 square foot warehouse.  This "funny little food bank" covers over 7,743 square miles and 18 counties in only 14 trucks.  We are really proud of our numbers, because they go above and beyond what most would expect from our size of warehouse and employees.  Not only are we proud, but we love what we are doing.....and we think that shows!

Thank you...as always...to our amazing volunteers for sharing in our passion AND sweat to help feed hungry individuals in East Tennessee!  Without you, we could not do what we do!

If you are interested in volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee please visit our website and http://www.secondharvestknox.org/.

Second Saturday for Second Harvest

Second Saturday for Second Harvest is a signature wine tasting event that occurs on (can you guess?) the second Saturday of each month and is hosted by Campbell Station Wine & Spirits (CSWS).  Gene and Pamela Treacy, co-owners of CSWS, say this event so far has raised enough money to provide over 3,000 meals to those in need in our area. 

The event is held at Granite & Marble Works showroom- located at 707 N. Campbell Station Road- right next door to CSWS.  On April 10th, 2010 from 2:30-5:00 p.m. CSWS will be serving samples of wine and broadening the wine experience of those who attend. 

Wines are hand selected for each event!  April's wine list will include:
Virgin Chardonnay
Dr Loosen Riesling
Incognito White Blend
Cuvee Stephi French Red Blend
Alba Liza Grenache Temprainillo
Earthquake Zinfandel
Petite Petite Sirah

You must be 21 years of age to participate in this event and you must have a written invitaiton from CSWS.  To obtain an invitation, please send an email to info@campbellstationwine.com or contact Pamela Treacy at 865-966-7122.  This event is free with donations going to Second Harvest Food Bank.

Mobile Pantries.....getting food to rural areas!

The following was a letter written by Michael Heydasch, a volunteer for his church, Valley View United Methodist. This letter was written to his friends and the congregation of his church about the Mobile Pantry program offered by Second Harvest.

Several of you mentioned your interest in the Mobile Pantry program, so I'm taking this opportunity to send you information in the hope that perhaps similar programs might be started in your area.

If I have my facts straight, Second Harvest serves 18 counties in the East Tennessee area. They have numerous programs, but one of their most popular is the Mobile Pantry program. The need is great; in some counties, as many as 1 in 3 children are surviving on as little as 1 meal per day. Many adults are having to make choices between groceries and paying utility bills.

The Mobile Pantry program is an effective way to distribute food to rural areas. They deliver (drop off, actually) a tractor-trailer of food to a church on a Thursday or Friday; the food is sorted prior to Saturday; the food is handed out by volunteers to those in need on Saturday; the Second Harvest driver returns on Monday to pick up the trailer. A full-load of food (as of this writing) is $800, and the total load can be between 12,000-22,000 pounds of food/beverages.

Zane Graves is the Director of Operations at Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee (our local affiliate for Feeding America). Zane is a great guy, friendly and helpful. He has experienced so much demand for the Mobile Pantry program that he frequently has to schedule in to the next calendar year. You may still find availability for 2010, but don't be surprised if the dates are at the begining of the month, or on a Thursday instead of Friday. (We find that the best dates are toward the end of the month, when the checks that people receive ar the begining of the month are exhausted). Zane can be reached at 865-521-0000 (M-Th 9-4:30, F 9-2).

The following pictures were taken at the Valley View UMC Mobile Pantry:

Thank you Michael for your continued efforts to spread the word about Second Harvest and help those in need in your community.  If you would like more information on Mobile Pantries or any of our other feeding programs, please contact us at Second Harvest 865-521-0000 or visit our website http://www.secondharvestknox.org/