For United Way’s second-annual Give Thanks Day of Action, more than 500 individuals, groups and companies provided meal boxes to families in Davidson, Robertson and Williamson counties. The boxes were filled with all the food needed fora traditional holiday meal, along with supplemental food to feed a family through the holiday weekend.
Because of the generosity of volunteers and donors throughout Greater Nashville, 1,952 families were provided with the essentials to share a warm, filling holiday meal together. During October and November, participating groups, individuals and companies collected supplies and donations to assemble boxes for families in need throughout Greater Nashville.
United Way created the Give Thanks Day of Action as a way to relieve some of the financial burden that many families face during the holiday season. The holidays are an expensive time formany in our community and can be especially difficult for families and individuals whose food budgets are already limited. The average family of four receives $465 a month for food through public assistance programs, which breaks down to $5.16 per meal. The average cost of a traditional holiday dinner is roughly $60. That’s 12 times the amount a family has available to spend on a single meal. COVID-19 has exacerbated the need: The demand for food in Middle Tennessee has jumped from 600,000 pounds a week to a million pounds a week, a 40 percent increase since this time last year.
“With the holidays being focused on food and sharing a nice meal, that can place a significant burden on families who already have limited budgets,” said United Way’s president and CEO Brian Hassett. “We are so grateful to the community members who rallied to help our families who need it most.”
Boxes were distributed to select United Way of Greater Nashville partner agencies. Individuals in need of assistance can call 211 or visit unitedwaygreaternashville.org/211-helpline.
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About United Way of Greater Nashville
At United Way, we unite the community and mobilize resources so that every child, individual and family thrives. Together, we are working to create a community where every child receives a quality education, no one lives in poverty or poor health, and the most basic needs of our families are met. We are uniquely positioned to the lead this fight by bringing individuals, businesses, nonprofits and government to the table to have the tough conversations, mobilize the resources and make the smart investments that will create lasting solutions for our region’s most pressing issues. For more information, visit unitedwaynashville.org and follow us on social media @UWNashville.