NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Hundreds of Nashville families faced food insecurity this week after losing federal assistance, prompting local churches to step in with emergency food distribution.
Lois Hill shuffled through a three-hour line at Mt. Bethel Missionary Baptist Church for food box and some essential items.
"A lot it really helps a lot, they put 16 dollars on my food stamp card but I'm like $16 dollars, what can I get with that," Hill said.
Hill, who helps care for her grandchildren, was among more than 800 people who received food boxes, toys, toiletries and diapers from the church distribution.
"They like that one," Hill said, selecting items while thinking of the children she supports.
"I have them a lot they don't live with me but I help out it takes a village to raise a child," Hill said.
The grandmother expressed what many families are experiencing as federal assistance programs face cuts.
"Everything that we get we need it we actually need it, it's hard, it's hard times," Hill said.
Pastor Aaron Marble of Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church, who partnered with Mt. Bethel's Pastor Jaques Boyd for the distribution, said the timing couldn't be worse for families already struggling.
"It can never be a good time, but honestly it couldn't have been at a worse time," said Boyd.
Marble emphasized that food insecurity affects people from all walks of life.
"We have to dispel the myth that there are people living off the system, we have to get rid of this caricature of who receives help and who needs help," said Marble. "We are an emergency, a couple of paychecks, a bad experience away from needing assistance to help ourselves. And this is our community."
For Hill, the November distribution provided crucial support during a month of uncertainty.
"This is a blessing it is just the food alone, that's what I was really coming for is food," Hill said.
Watch the full story and see how Nashville churches are making a difference in fighting food insecurity in our community. Have you witnessed similar community support efforts? Share your story with reporter Kim Rafferty at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com
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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