Second Harvest Food Bank Executive Director Elaine Streno accepts the first $20,000 installment of a $60,000 UT-Battelle donation from Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Thom Mason. (Photo submitted by ORNL)
UT-Battelle gave Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee $20,000 on Wednesday.
It’s the first part of a three-year, $60,000 donation to help the local nonprofit organization feed hungry East Tennessee residents, a press release said.
It said UT-Battelle has been a longtime corporate supporter of Second Harvest, offering both volunteers and monetary aid. In 2005, UT-Battelle donated $50,000 to help the agency restock food supplies after Hurricane Katrina.
“In addition to our staff members’ consistently strong support for United Way, this most recent donation to Second Harvest continues UT-Battelle’s commitment to helping the agency provide food to East Tennesseans in need,” ORNL Director Thom Mason said.
The press release said Second Harvest distributes food to area food banks that feed nearly 178,000 people in 18 East Tennessee counties. For every dollar donated, the food bank provides three nutritious meals.
UT-Battelle’s $60,000 contribution will help Second Harvest pay for a new $1.5 million cooler-freezer that will allow the agency to store fresh produce and meats, offering healthier choices, said Second Harvest’s Executive Director Elaine Streno.
“It’s a donation that you can see, you can feel, and you can touch.” Streno said. “It’s going to provide at least 60,000 meals for our 18-county service area, not to mention helping us afford the much needed cooler-freezer that will be storing donated food that had been thrown away prior to its being built.”
The center spends 2 percent of its revenue on administration, 4 percent on fundraising expenses, and 94 percent on operating hunger-relief programs, the press release said.
Leave a Reply