DONELSON, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Social Services is marking a significant milestone as its Food Pop Up food giveaways mark one year of operation.
Over the past 12 months, the mobile food distribution initiative has given away more than 2,700 boxes and bags of food to Nashville residents facing food insecurity.
The effort strategically targets food deserts across Davidson County, bringing resources directly to communities that need them so badly.
"What's so intentional, specific about this endeavor is that we're going directly into food deserts," said Harriet Wallace, strategic communications manager for Metro Social Services.
The program was launched in response to a Metro Social Services report that revealed alarming statistics about hunger in Nashville and Davidson County.
The research found that one in five children in the metro doesn't have enough to eat, and 30% of single mothers in Davidson County also struggle with food insecurity.
Wallace describes the impact of the giveaways on recipients as profound.
"The reaction of relief, gratitude, and just a feeling of 'now I can eat. Now I can function,'" Wallace said.
The pop-up model addresses multiple barriers to food access beyond just financial constraints.
Many residents lack nearby grocery stores or reliable transportation to reach food sources.
"That's a big part of food insecurity, not only not having food, but not having the ability to get to the food. So we're hoping to eliminate a lot of those barriers with this program," Wallace said.
The mobile approach brings food directly to communities rather than requiring people to travel to Metro Social Services offices for assistance.
At last week's giveaway alone, more than 500 people received food boxes, though demand exceeded supply and some residents went home empty-handed.
While recent SNAP benefit disruptions have brought renewed attention to hunger issues, Wallace notes that Metro Social Services observed increasing need well before the current situation.
"What we saw happen throughout the spring and summertime, we saw more people coming to us asking for food, more of our clients coming in instead of going a few hours or a day or so without eating, they've gone days without eating," Wallace said.
The pop-up food giveaways will continue operating across Davidson County as Metro Social Services works to address the growing hunger crisis in Nashville.
Wallace suggests following Metro Social Services on social media to find out about the location and date of the next pop-up giveaway.
Click here for more information on the help Metro Social Services can offer.
This story was reported on-air by a Robb Coles and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Coles verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
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