Annual fundraising event will donate funds to food banks in 95 Tennessee counties
During what was one of the hardest years for the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of Tennessee saw a 26.6% increase in food insecurity with every 1 in 6 adults needing food support. Shooting Hunger, an annual fundraising event that helps feed hungry Tennesseans through regional food banks, raised $222,000 for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TN and Mid-South Food Bank, and provided more than 2 million meals to those in need in 2020, recognizing the urgent need to provide for those gone hungry.
This year, Shooting Hunger plans to expand its reach by distributing the funds raised evenly among all 95 counties in the state. A majority of the funds raised will be used to provide weekly backpacks full of food for school children without access to school lunch, with an overall goal to provide 100,000 backpack meals.
There is a Farm Bureau location in every county with a local board of directors made up of farmers. Additionally every county is served by TN Farmers Coop, Farm Credit and Rural 1st. Shooting Hunger is asking that representatives from these organizations coordinate as a local committee to distribute the funds with a focus on school backpack programs. Any remaining funds will be donated to local food pantries across Tennessee, which have been hard hit due to surges in demand, declines in food donations due to supply chain challenges and fewer available volunteers.
“There are so many struggling this year due to unprecedented hardships, and are in need of food and support,” said Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation’s Director of Membership, Bryan Wright, the driver behind this program to ensure families are fed. “Helping others who are unable to put food on the table is Shooting Hunger’s mission, and we want those in the community to know that Tennessee agriculture are here to help them during these trying times.”
Shooting Hunger was started by Tennessee Farm Bureau and Farm Credit Mid-America in 2015, who recognized the need to fight hunger in their communities, and wanted to find a way to bring Tennessee agriculture and Tennessee businesses together and provide for hungry Tennesseans. The first event in October 2015 raised enough funds to provide over 88,000 meals to those hungry in the state. Since then, the fundraising events have raised over 2 million meals to those that are hungry.
This year, in addition to expanding its monetary contributions across the state, Shooting Hunger will add on an additional sporting clays shooting event in East Tennessee, totaling to three events in all of the states regions: West, Middle and East Tennessee. The events are hosted by Tennessee Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Mid-America, Rural 1st and Tennessee Farmers Coop.
By donating to Shooting Hunger, individuals are helping a neighbor or a student in school in need of a meal – furthering the events mission of providing hope for those in need. Donations are accepted year-round, and can be made on shootinghunger.com.
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About Shooting Hunger
Shooting Hunger is an annual sporting clays shooting event hosted by Tennessee Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Mid-America and Tennessee Farmers Coop with a mission to raise funds to help feed hungry Tennesseans through regional food banks and fight hunger in their communities. Since its inception in 2015, Shooting Hunger events have raised over 2 million meals to those that are hungry.
Media Contact:
Lauren Berry
lberry@archermalmo.com
817-209-5197