In August 2022, members of our Nashville team made a positive impact on their neighbors in need by spending the day volunteering, including cold-sorting frozen and perishable food donations, with Second Harvest Food Bank in Music City. The local nonprofit provides food to people facing food insecurity and works to advance hunger-related solutions within Tennessee. According to the U.S. Department Of Agriculture, in 2020, 10.5% of households were food insecure at some point during the year, including 3.9% (5.1 million) households that had very low food security; this is an epidemic that has been exacerbated since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.
During their day of service, Nashville Urban Scientists were responsible for evaluating, sorting and packing food donations from grocery stores, food drives and farms for distribution to families and seniors at risk of food insecurity across middle and west Tennessee. The variety of food items included non-perishables, and frozen and perishable food donations as well, hence the cold sort, which took place in a 40-degree cooler. In total, the group packed 4,222 pounds of food!
Carolyn Carter, Sr. HR Business Partner for the Nashville office, was introduced to volunteering with Second Harvest through an initiative hosted by her church; she later returned to volunteer with friends and family, and eventually proposed the idea of a team outing with her colleagues.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to connect my team with a nonprofit that I was passionate about – and for us to come together to help our neighbors in need,” said Carter. “I believe giving back to the community – in any way, big or small – is one of the most impactful things someone can do, and I’m humbled to have worked alongside my fellow Urban Scientists, for a company that offers paid volunteerism time, to make a difference. We already have plans to return to Second Harvest for another day of service.”
Our company’s Nashville-based team is actively engaged in community service, supporting local residents and organizations through various volunteerism and philanthropic initiatives, including a diaper drive to assist Nashville Diaper Connection (NDC) on its mission to ensure every baby in Davidson County – home to Nashville – has enough diapers to stay clean, dry and healthy.
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About Second Harvest Food Bank
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.
