This blog was written by Jon Rice, Senior Marketing & Creative Services Strategist of Second Harvest.
How You Can Help Map the Meal Gap
The start of a new school year brings a lot of excitement. New classes. New possibilities. New friendships. New goals.
But for thousands of families across East Tennessee, back-to-school season also brings additional anxiety. Between school supplies, new clothes, rising grocery costs, and everyday bills, many households are finding it harder than ever to provide for their families.
That forces some neighbors to make tough decisions about skipping meals, skipping medications, or falling behind on utility bills.
The Reality of the Meal Gap in East Tennessee
When we talk about hunger and food insecurity, we often use the term Meal Gap.
The Meal Gap represents the difference between the meals people need to thrive and what they can consistently afford to put on the table. But across East Tennessee, that need continues to grow.
According to Feeding America’s latest Map the Meal Gap data, nearly 230,000 East Tennesseans are food insecure. That’s about one in every six people in our region. Even more concerning, more than 60,000 children in East Tennessee don’t always know where their next meal is coming from. That’s roughly one in every five kids.
As students head back to school this fall, these numbers serve as an important reminder that hunger impacts classrooms just as much as it impacts households. A student who is worried about food at home faces challenges that extend well beyond the lunch counter.
Bonny Kate Elementary School in Knox County, is one of our Food for Kids partners. Food for Kids is part of our efforts to Map the Meal Gap.
The problem isn’t just affecting households with the lowest incomes, either. Nearly half of food-insecure neighbors earn too much to qualify for SNAP benefits but still don’t make enough to consistently cover groceries and other basic expenses. They’re working, paying bills, and doing everything they can, but they’re caught in the Meal Gap. They earn too much for assistance, yet not enough to fully meet their family’s needs.
And the problem is growing. Food insecurity has increased 7.5% over the last year and 30% over the past five years, driven by inflation, higher food prices, and changing population demographics across the region.
How Can We Shrink the Meal Gap?
That’s a big challenge, but it’s one Second Harvest tackles every day. Over the past year, your food bank distributed 27.1 million pounds of food, providing the equivalent of 22.6 million meals across East Tennessee. Put another way, that’s nearly 1.9 million meals every month or more than 74,000 meals every single day.
Volunteers help to distribute food at a Mobile Pantry distribution in Blount County.
In May 2026, we extended our Mobile Pantry program into Sevier County (above), furthering our reach across East TN.
Fresh food remains a major focus, too. Last year, Second Harvest distributed 7.3 million pounds of produce, meaning more than a quarter of all food distributed was fresh fruits and vegetables. Of that, 381,771 of our total pounds distributed came directly from an East Tennessee farmer.
Fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats are grown by East Tennessee farmers and distributed back to East Tennessee neighbors.
How Your Support Makes an Impact
Even with those numbers, the Meal Gap remains significant. Today, Second Harvest is able to meet approximately 52% of the food need across our service area. To fully close the Meal Gap in East Tennessee, an estimated 44 million meals would be needed annually.
That’s why community support is more important than ever. Second Harvest has a team of just 60 employees, but our work is powered by more than 3,000 volunteers who donate their time throughout the year. Just last year, volunteers contributed more than 35,000 hours, helping sort, pack, and distribute nearly 1.5 million meals. That’s the equivalent of having more than 16 additional full-time staff members working to reduce the Meal Gap across East Tennessee.
That community support goes a long way. As a Four-Star Charity Navigator organization, 95 cents of every dollar donated goes directly into our hunger-relief programs. In fact, a $1 donation can provide more than $5 worth of groceries for neighbors in need.
As food insecurity continues to affect nearly 230,000 East Tennesseans, our goal remains clear: close the Meal Gap and ensure that every neighbor, and every child heading back to school, has reliable access to nutritious food.
Together, we can help make sure East Tennessee starts the school year stronger, healthier, and better nourished.
To learn more about Second Harvest, read more of our blogs, or explore how you can contribute to food security in East Tennessee, please visit the following links:
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