Second Harvest provides food to more than 500 food pantries, soup kitchens, schools and shelters throughout the region. Credit: Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 2, 2020 – Community food banks are experiencing more stress than ever as they work to address the increased need caused by COVID-19.
UT-Battelle, the managing contractor of Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy, has responded by donating $10,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, providing 30,000 meals for those in need.
“ORNL prioritizes urgent needs when allocating funds through our community engagement efforts,” said Wade Creswell, ORNL community relations manager. “Second Harvest Food Bank provides life sustaining provisions to hundreds of thousands of people throughout our region.”
Second Harvest is the largest hunger-relief charity in East Tennessee, providing assistance to more than 500 food pantries, soup kitchens, schools and shelters. The nonprofit operates broad programs specific to children, elderly and families – populations that are especially vulnerable during the current stress on food resources.
Economic insecurity, unemployment and "safer at home" measures are overburdening the local charity, which is in desperate need of funds to replenish food supplies and continue to support partner agencies. Such agencies are ordering twice as much food as previously to meet increasing demands.
“The critical shortage of food to replace skyrocketing demand among our most needy and vulnerable is the ultimate priority for East Tennesseans,” Creswell said. “We are proud to help feed thousands of our friends and neighbors when they need it the most.”
ORNL employees have launched a continued fundraising effort for Second Harvest through Team UT-Battelle, the lab’s employee-led service organization that helps coordinate staff members as they volunteer with and raise money for nonprofits throughout the region.
To donate to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, visit their website at https://secondharvestetn.org. To find another food bank near you, visit the feeding America website at https://www.feedingamerica.org.
UT-Battelle manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory for DOE’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE’s Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science. – Abby Bower and Bill Cabage
See ORNL’s main COVID-19 news site for more information on the laboratory’s fight against the novel coronavirus.