Give Thanks Day of Action to Provide Meals for Davidson, Robertson, Cheatham and Williamson County Families 

October 28, 2020, NASHVILLE, Tenn.—United Way is seeking community support to collect food items and assemble boxes for families in need throughout Greater Nashville. Here’s how you can help:
  • Create a meal box/es. Use our list of pre-selected, non-perishable foods to fill your bin with everything needed for a family of four. Add a $25 gift card to Kroger, Walmart or Publix and follow the drop off instructions here. It’s that easy and you can make as many boxes as you’d like! If you want to make an even bigger impact, rally your workplace or community group to join you. We’ll supply all the tools to help you run a successful drive. Sign up by November 6.
  • Donate directly to the drive. You don’t have to run a collection drive or create your own box to provide a holiday meal for a family in need. A donation of $75 provides a full Give Thanks box for a family of four. Donate and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do the same.
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 for many 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. “Because of the generosity of donors throughout Greater Nashville, thousands of families will have the essentials to share a warm, holiday meal together,” said Brian Hassett, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Nashville. “With your help, we can provide some relief to families in need this holiday season.” Boxes will be 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.