NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Food pop-ups in North Nashville are providing critical relief to struggling families, removing what one Metro official calls an "impossible choice" between parents eating or feeding their children.
"What it means is mom might get to eat tonight instead of determining if she's gonna feed her kids and not eat. That's what we want to address," said Renee Pratt, director of Metro Social Services.
Pratt led a pop-up in North Nashville last month where she witnessed firsthand the extent of food insecurity in the community. The demand was overwhelming from the start.
"What we found when we provided a food pop-up here in our own location was that many people lined up early at 6 o'clock in the morning wanting and needing assistance with food. We ran out of meals probably within two hours of the giveaway," Pratt said.
The situation has worsened due to reduced federal funding affecting food assistance programs across the state.
"With the cuts in Second Harvest Food Bank and other food banks around this state has made a major impact on people in need and people experiencing hunger," Pratt said.
Beyond funding cuts, systemic poverty and food deserts throughout Nashville create additional barriers to food access. The challenges may intensify as SNAP benefit reductions loom over certain communities.
Maps showing projected SNAP benefit cuts reveal significant impacts ahead. In the 37208 community specifically, officials are looking at a possible 27% reduction in benefits.
Despite these mounting challenges, Pratt remains committed to the mission. She has even postponed her retirement to continue serving the community during this critical time.
"What I can ensure is as long as I'm director of Metro Social Services and run the largest meals and wheels program in the city, people will not go hungry even if the federal government stops," Pratt said.
The next food pop-up is scheduled for November 8 at Greater St. John Church, starting at 8 a.m.
Have you witnessed food insecurity in your community? Share your story and help us continue covering this critical issue affecting Nashville families. Contact Kim Rafferty at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com to discuss how we can better serve our neighbors in need.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
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