Some groups addressing hunger in west Tennessee have noticed an increase in demand for assistance to help feed kids in the region.
According to estimates from Feeding America, more than one in five kids in nearly every northwest Tennessee county experienced food insecurity in 2023, the latest year on record.
During the summer months, some families need more help keeping food on the table when their kids are out of school – where breakfast and lunch is provided for students.
Samantha Smith-Goyret is the co-director of the Northwest Tennessee Local Food Network out of Martin, which encourages people to grow their own produce and connects people with other hunger relief organizations and food pantries in the region. With the cost of gas and groceries going up, she’s noticed an increased need for food assistance recently compared to prior years.
“I get at least two to three phone calls a week of people just looking for food, which is more than we have had in the past,” Smith-Goyret said. “They're having to make really tough decisions, and that's disheartening.”
Smith-Goyret said she also personally knows people who’ve had to tighten their budgets due to lack of summer meal support from the state for their kids. For the second year in a row, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee opted the state out of the federal Summer EBT program – which provides $120 per school-aged child who receives free or reduced-price meals.
Instead, Tennessee is providing $120 payments to eligible families in just 13 counties – none of them in northwest Tennessee.
Another group that’s expanding its outreach in northwest Tennessee is the Southwest Human Resources Agency. The organization runs the Summer Nutrition Program – which offers food at “grab and go” sites to those in need and provides home deliveries in some locations – in an effort to make sure children receive meals when school is not in session.
Tony Torres oversees the department that runs the Summer Nutrition Program. He said the program operates in 24 counties in west Tennessee and is on track to serve around double the amount of meals this summer as it did last year.
“There's not a lot of sponsors or whatever that will service this area,” I think we're in Lake County, Tipton County, Obion County, and we've never done those before.”
Torres said the organization recently started running home delivery routes in a few counties, including Obion and Lake, but had to cut Tipton due to a lack of drivers.
The Summer Nutrition Program will operate until schools are back in session. The Southwest Human Resources Agency provides other food assistance measures like Meals on Wheels and an after-school program for kids at risk of going hungry.
The Northwest Tennessee Local Food Network has produced a Hunger Relief Guide for those who are in need. The guide features businesses and agencies that give food to those in need or have extra food to give.
