NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Local restaurants came together Saturday morning to provide more than a meal to their neighbors.
Shugga Hi Bakery & Cafe offers a hot meal to anyone for free every Thursday before Thanksgiving. Owner Kathy Leslie says this is the 9th year of the harvest meal event, and they prepared food for nearly 1,000 people.
"So listen, this is the truth: people are hurting," she said. "They're hurting financially, they don't have food, they're hurting mentally. So we just need to do the best that we can to be kind, loving...to somebody. That's called Shugga, baby."
A little girl named Jakayla stood in line, telling us why something like this is so important.
"It's life-saving for people that need food," she said. "Because some people need food and they don't have it, and a lot of people dying nowadays."
With partners like Prince's Hot Chicken and the Housing Fund, volunteers kept on feeding people until supply ran out.
"That's what we're doing," said one volunteer. "We're loving on them, showing them that they care and showing them that they're part of a great community."
Shugga Hi hosts the event in honor of Kathy's sister Sandra, who has since passed away. Together, they started the food giveaway back in 2017.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
This is a story I immediately went home and showed my boys - young athletes with big dreams. The Vanderbilt football team's success has stolen the spotlight - what I love about Steve Layman's story is he reveals the individual hardships it took to get there. As Clark Lea says, "we all have scuff marks." This team proves perseverance pays off!
- Carrie Sharp
