Official Memo from Nancy Keil
President & CEO of Second Harvest Meals Financial institution of Center Tennessee
Behind each meal we offer is a narrative.
Tales of youngsters who can now focus in school. Seniors who not must skip dinner to pay the utility invoice. Dad and mom who can lastly breathe a bit simpler realizing their household will go to mattress with full stomachs. These tales are filled with resilience, dignity, and braveness—they’re the tales of our neighbors.
Final week, we obtained alarming information: beginning April 1st, Second Harvest will lose entry to 30% of the federally offered meals we obtain by way of the USDA. This transformation means 700,000 fewer kilos of contemporary produce, proteins, and dairy—meals we should now replenish by way of different sources, at an estimated price of $600,000 to interchange these kilos for this quarter alone.
Subsequent fiscal yr, starting July 1st, the shortfall grows much more extreme. We anticipate a 4,000,000-pound deficit from the identical USDA supply and the top of one other federal grant. That’s the equal of 100 truckloads of meals we are actually working urgently to fill for the households who depend on us. Buying the identical quantity of meals will price roughly $3,000,000.
We additionally realized that the USDA has canceled LFPA25 (Native Meals Buy Help) funding—a further $3,000,000 that may have allowed us to proceed to buy farm-fresh meals from Center and West Tennessee growers. The impression of this loss is twofold: fewer households can have entry to contemporary, nutritious meals, and native farmers will lose out on important earnings. This determination impacts each those that develop meals and people who want it most.
These new setbacks compound the challenges we’re already going through. Since 2020, Second Harvest has seen a 46% enhance in folks in search of meals help. Rising inflation, decreased public assist, and ongoing information of layoffs and closures proceed to push extra people to our doorways. The necessity is rising—simply as entry to assist is shrinking.
We’re deeply involved about what this implies for our neighbors. We can’t bear the considered kids beginning the day hungry, seniors skipping meals, or households operating out of choices. However we won’t let these fears turn out to be our actuality.
Second Harvest is responding with urgency and resolve.
We’re stretching each greenback, doubling down on effectivity, and strengthening our partnerships to distribute as a lot nutritious meals as doable all through our 46 counties. As a result of meals is just not a privilege—it’s a proper. And we are going to do the whole lot in our energy to make sure that nobody in our neighborhood goes with out.
Irrespective of the challenges, we’re right here. Backed by a community of greater than 600 devoted Companions, we’re prepared to fulfill this second with hope, compassion, and willpower. Meals fuels stability. It opens doorways. It fills tables. It creates the potential of tomorrow.
There may be work forward—however we’ve confronted onerous instances earlier than. And simply as we at all times have, we are going to rise to the event—collectively.
We are going to proceed turning starvation into hope, one story at a time.
Gratefully,
Nancy Keil
President & CEO
