MARYVILLE, Tenn. – On Monday, Dec. 10, starting at 6 a.m., Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee and WATE, WVLT and WBIR will host the annual Double Your Donation Day at the food bank. Double Your Donation, or “DYD,” is a one-day telethon and day-of-giving benefitting Second Harvest. All donations made between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Dec. 10 will be matched up to $300,000 by several corporate and anonymous contributors.
Donations are vital to the food bank’s success. With just $1, Second Harvest can provide three meals to an East Tennessean in need. Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee works hard to meet the need of the hungry in East Tenn.; however, a meal gap still exists in each county it serves. A meal gap is the number of meals still needed in an area to meet the need of the hungry. Second Harvest only meets 50.95% of the total need in the 18 counties it serves due to lack of funding, resources, trucks, employees, etc.*
Elaine Streno, Executive Director of Second Harvest say, “DYD is one of the most amazing days of the year! This year, we hope to provide 1.5 million meals to the hungry in East Tennessee because of Double Your Donation Day; however, we can’t do it without the help of our community and media partners.”
To make a donation on DYD, Monday, Dec. 10, visit secondharvestetn.org and click on the Double Your Donation banner at the top of the page. You can also call the DYD telethon line at 865.243.8227. Donations can also be made in-person at the food bank. Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee is located at 136 Harvest Lane, Maryville, Tenn. 37801. Please come visit the food bank to meet the staff, make a donation and/or get a tour of the facility!
New this year: donations of $20 or more, given in person at the food bank, will receive a FREE 2018 Double Your Donation Day t-shirt while supplies last! All donations made over the phone, in person or online will be doubled by corporate and anonymous contributors.
In 2017, Second Harvest not only met the match, but exceeded the goal. Donations on DYD 2017, including the matching gifts, totaled to more than $600,000. Help Second Harvest Food Bank make history AGAIN in its 36th year!
*The number of meals required to fulfill the need in each county is determined by Feeding America, utilizing 2016 Food Insecurity by County from the 2018 Map the Meal Gap study.
