Second Harvest Food Bank Puts Emergency Plan In Place
With the government shutdown about to affect SNAP benefits for East Tennesseans, the Second Harvest Food Bank is making preparations. Effective immediately, Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee has activated its emergency plan in response to what are expected to be growing needs throughout their 18-county service area.
- Second Harvest says they are Preparing additional emergency food boxes for immediate distribution from their facility.
- Supplying each Partner Agency with additional cases of key kitchen staples, including mac and cheese, peanut butter, and shelf-stable milk.
- Increasing the amount of product for distribution at each of their mobile food pantries throughout November. Second Harvest’s Mobile Food Pantry will be in Newport at the Cocke County Fairgrounds on November 25, two days before Thanksgiving.
Nearly 700,000 Tennesseans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program each month. The average SNAP benefit per person in the state of Tennessee is $187 per month. With the state of Tennessee not dipping into its “rainy day fund” to pay for SNAP benefits, it is organizations like Second Harvest Food Bank and other area food banks, charities and churches that will need to step in to avert a food crisis for low income individuals. Cocke County this week released a plan to have a food distribution each day in November, except for Thanksgiving Day. You can find those distribution locations and dates at the website https://www.cockecountytn.gov/food