Mid-South Food Bank serves the Memphis region, covering nine counties across Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas through a network of partner agencies and direct programs. Memphis has long been one of the most economically distressed large cities in the South, with persistently high poverty, food deserts across much of the city, and deep need. Scott Fortin became President and CEO in 2025, succeeding Cathy Pope, who led the organization from 2019. Mid-South Food Bank marked 40 years of operation in recent years.
Mid-South Food Bank sources food at scale and distributes it across the Memphis region through partner agencies and its own direct programs, including mobile pantries that reach into neighborhoods with few grocery options. The food-desert problem in Memphis means a meaningful share of residents live far from any full-service grocery store, which makes the food bank’s direct distributions especially important.
Scott Fortin was named President and CEO in 2025 by the board, succeeding Cathy Pope, who led the organization from 2019 before moving to a nonprofit role in Atlanta. The transition came amid rising demand and the federal food-program changes reshaping food banks across the country.
The nine-county service area is centered on Memphis and Shelby County and reaches across the state lines into northern Mississippi and eastern Arkansas, reflecting how the Memphis metro spans three states. It is a region marked by persistent, concentrated poverty and a majority-Black urban core that has faced decades of disinvestment.
Yes. Mid-South Food Bank is a registered 501(c)(3) and a Feeding America member with a 40-plus-year operating record. Donors can review its financials through Charity Navigator and GuideStar. Bulk buying and donated food mean a gift produces many meals.
Donations and volunteer shifts run through midsouthfoodbank.org. Volunteers sort and pack food and help at mobile distributions, and cash gifts go furthest because of the food bank’s purchasing power.
Mid-South Food Bank covers the Memphis metro in the far southwest corner of Tennessee, while Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee covers Nashville and the broad center of the state. For anyone in the Memphis area, Mid-South is the lead organization.
Agencies across nine counties in three states receive food.
Direct distributions into Memphis food deserts.
School and weekend food support for kids at risk of hunger.
Food assistance for older adults on fixed incomes.
Sources: Mid-South Food Bank website (midsouthfoodbank.org), and Local Memphis and Action News 5 reporting on the leadership transition from Cathy Pope to Scott Fortin. We are not affiliated with Mid-South Food Bank and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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