An Hour in a Freezer

Second Harvest Food Bank, Jumbled Dreams, Changing Lives, Nashville

Second Harvest Food Bank, Jumbled Dreams, Changing Lives, NashvilleWell, it’s amazing what you can accomplish with some friends in an hour in a food bank freezer!  After visiting Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee for a video for our friend Dierks Bentley, we knew we wanted to go back.  So, mom worked for several months to find a good night we could visit and help pack some food for those in need.

Second Harvest helps food insecure families in the Middle Tennessee area with the mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community. The organization helps provide a central distribution center for companies, groups and individuals who wish to help Second Harvest Food Bank, Jumbled Dreams, Changing Lives, Nashvilleprovide food for hungry people in Middle Tennessee.  Second Harvest is one of the largest and most comprehensive of over 200 food banks and food distribution centers nationwide. During the 2016/2017 fiscal year, Second Harvest distributed more than 32 million pounds of food to more than 490 Partner Agencies, providing more than 26 million meals of food to hungry children, families and seniors throughout our 46-county service area.

Our visit in January was on one of the coldest nights of the year yet.  With five girls from Echos for Hope and a few of our board members, we inspected, packed, sorted, and weighed food in the freezer. At first it was a little cold but once we got moving it was a lot of fun. They turned up the music and we Second Harvest Food Bank, Jumbled Dreams, Changing Lives, Nashvillegot right to work!

First, we had to prepare boxes and label them.  Then we had to inspect the food, to make sure it was all still good.  After that, we had to sort the items.  I learned a lot!  Poultry, beef, seafood, entrees, pork, and so much more!  After it was sorted, we had to weigh each box before it was ready to store in the freezer.  Items are given away based on their weight and description so all of these steps were very important to make sure everyone has what they need when they order and pick up food.  Mom got to help with the garbage compactor outside and run it too!

When we were done, after about an hour and a half, we had packed 4,307 pounds of food to Second Harvest Food Bank, Jumbled Dreams, Changing Lives, Nashvilleserve 3,589 meals to families in our community!  We were all very excited!

This showed us all that giving and making a difference can be as simple as packing food at your local food bank! Sorting and packing food is a lot of fun and can be relaxing but important work at the same time. We can’t wait to go back and find out other ways to make a difference.

-Sydnee

To learn more follow Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee on social media or check out their website at www.secondharvestmidtn.org.

Second Harvest Food Bank, Jumbled Dreams, Changing Lives, Nashville

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