Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has fought hunger in the region for nearly 50 years, since 1978. From its Nashville headquarters it covers 46 counties across Middle and West Tennessee, working through more than 600 nonprofit partner agencies including after-school programs, soup kitchens, and senior centers. Nancy Keil has led it as President and CEO since 2019. It is a member of the Feeding America network.
Second Harvest sources food at scale and distributes it through more than 600 partner agencies across 46 counties, supplemented by its own programs and a long-running sourcing operation. The service area is large and varied, from the Nashville metro to rural counties stretching toward West Tennessee, and the food bank has been planning a new and expanded distribution center to keep up with demand.
Nancy Keil was named President and CEO in May 2019, after five years as the organization’s Chief Development and Marketing Officer. She has been recognized by the Nashville Business Journal as a Most Admired CEO and named a Woman of Impact. She led the food bank through the pandemic surge and the federal food-program cuts that hit the region in 2025.
The 46-county service area covers Middle and West Tennessee, anchored by Nashville and reaching across a wide rural stretch. Nashville’s rapid growth and rising cost of living have pushed more working families into food insecurity, while the rural counties face the familiar problem of distance from any pantry or grocery store.
Yes. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is a registered 501(c)(3) and a Feeding America member with a nearly 50-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 secondharvestmidtn.org. Volunteers sort and pack food and help at distributions, and cash gifts go furthest because of the food bank’s purchasing power.
Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee covers the Nashville region and a broad swath of Middle and West Tennessee, while the Mid-South Food Bank covers the Memphis metro in the far southwest. For anyone in the Nashville area or Middle Tennessee, this is the lead organization.
600+ agencies across 46 counties receive food.
School and after-school food support for kids.
Food assistance for older adults on fixed incomes.
Food brought into rural communities far from pantries.
Sources: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee website (secondharvestmidtn.org), ProPublica (EIN 62-1049447), and NewsChannel 5 reporting on the planned distribution center and federal cuts. We are not affiliated with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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