Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee

About Us

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee opened its doors in 1978 with commitment from several community leaders. The purpose of the organization was to provide a central distribution center for companies, groups, and individuals who wished to help provide food for hungry people in Middle Tennessee.

Grassroots Beginnings
Modeled after the first food bank established in Phoenix in the mid-1960s, Second Harvest was designed to collect food that would otherwise be wasted, inspect and sort this food, and distribute it to soup kitchens, pantries, and shelters serving Tennesseans experiencing hunger. During the first year, Second Harvest distributed 160,000 pounds of food to 75 member agencies.

Second Harvest Today
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is one of the largest and most comprehensive of more than 200 food banks and food distribution centers nationwide. During FY22, Second Harvest distributed more than 41.6 million pounds of food to more than 450 Partner Agencies, providing more than 35.2 million meals to hungry children, families, and seniors throughout our 46-county service area