NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — When most of us get ready for holiday meals, we take for granted that we can afford food for our tables. Thousands of Tennesseans aren't as lucky.
"I have rice, I’m helping with the beans," said Lee Molette, Jr., a member of the Rotary Chapter of Nashville. "We just provide the labor and enjoy doing that part."
Nearly 200 Rotary members and their families and friends volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank, sorting and packing boxes of food for those in need. Lee Molette Jr. and his family have been volunteering for this program for what feels like a lifetime. For his son, Lee III, it really has been. "I was about two years old," said Molette III. "It’s always fun knowing it’s coming."
The younger Lee is now 18 and about to head off to college. "This could be my last time doing it for a while so I wanted to make sure I had a chance to do it," he said. "It feels great knowing I can give back to the community and just being a positive for people in need."
While the hard work happened this weekend, the real magic takes place next weekend. That's when all of the meals and food boxes will be hand delivered to those who need them. "Individual Rotary members and their families will take them in cars to deserving families who are food unsafe," said Van Pond, Co-Chair of the food drive.
The CEO of the Second Harvest Food Bank says, this drive comes as the need for help surges. "With the 46 counties we cover, there’s just shy of 400,000 people -- that’s children, families and seniors, that are food insecure. So while we’re enjoying our holiday meal and having fun with family and friends, they don’t know where their next meal is going to come from," said Nancy Keil.
Nearly 2,000 Nashville families will receive these boxes full of food. "Thanks to the Nashville Rotary, this is a game changer," said the CEO.
Lee Jr. is honored to be one of the helping hands. "Even though you have all of this, you have an obligation to give back," he said.
If you'd like to donate to one of Second Harvest's other food drives, you can do so by clicking here.
