Donor Appreciation luncheon November 2024
November 26, 2024
Contact: Karen Todd
Community Relations Coordinator
(423)279-0430 x 237
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee Celebrates National Philanthropy Day and Recognizes Volunteers and Donors While Receiving a Generous Surprise
Kingsport—National Philanthropy Day provides an opportunity to reflect on what it means to give unselfishly and what one’s gifts make possible in our world today. It is a day to celebrate those individuals and organizations who make a difference locally or globally. Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee observed National Philanthropy Day 2024 on Friday, November 22 with its second annual celebration and recognized some of the many generous donors from the past year with a luncheon. Those attending included Food Bank honorees, donors and volunteers, the Second Harvest Board of Directors, staff, elected officials, and community representatives from the region.
“I would like to briefly share with you how Second Harvest’s mission is impacted by your support and your faith in our work,” said Executive Director, Rhonda Chafin before beginning the award presentation. “With your help over this past year we worked with 110 partner agencies, provided 73 mobile food distribution sites, partnered with 117 schools in the Food For Kids backpack Program, provided 30 summer feeding sites, and are currently feeding over 43,000 neighbors each month.” As Second Harvest continues to respond with relief supplies to those impacted by the disaster, these numbers continue to increase.
The following is a list of the 2024 National Philanthropy Award Honorees:
Philanthropist of the Year: Helen E. Davey, posthumous
Youth Fundraiser of the Year: Elizabeth Johnson
Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year: Hats & Hearts for Hunger Greeneville/Greene County
Volunteer of the Year: Mark Mitchell
Volunteer Couple of the Year: Judy and Garry Roberts
Volunteer Group of the Year: Brother’s Keeper
Volunteer Longevity Award: Barbara Furches
Partner Agency of the Year: TLC Community Center
Food Donor of the Year: Sam’s Club of Johnson City
Disaster Relief Partners of the Year: Amanda and Brian Delp
Foundation of the Year: Mooneyhan Family Foundation
Corporation of the Year: BlueCross/BlueShield of Tennessee
Corporate Foundation of the Year: Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation
As the last award was being presented to our Corporate Foundation of the Year, Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation, representatives from Food Lion Feeds had a surprise award of their own to present. Rob Ward-Director of Operations & member of the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation Board, Ben Newport-Director of Operations/Western Division, and David Derrick-Store Manager-Food Lion Church Hill, presented Rhonda Chafin with a $300,000 check designated for Hurricane Relief. This donation will make a huge impact on Second Harvest’s ability to continue supplying those in need with the things they will require for long-term recovery from this disaster in the months and years to come. “We are extremely grateful for our continued partnership with Food Lion Feeds and for their wonderful generosity to Second Harvest,” said Rhonda Chafin after she received this unexpected donation.
Following the presentation of the awards, guests were invited to tour the recently completed addition to the Food Bank which includes the Good Steward Volunteer Center, the Food Lion Feeds Community Kitchen, and the Ballad Office Complex.
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Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee’s (SHFBNT) mission is to feed the hungry in Northeast Tennessee by securing donations of food from national and local manufacturers, grocers, and individuals and redistribute them to partner food pantries. Additionally, SHFBNT programs provide hunger relief services for an average of 43,000 food insecure individuals per month in Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Washington, and Unicoi Counties. SHFBNT is a 501c3 organization located in Kingsport, Tennessee and is a member of Feeding America, the Nation’s largest Food Bank network. Website: www.netfoodbank.org.