Second Harvest of Nashville gets truckload of meat

By Kevin Heim • THE TENNESSEAN • January 28, 2010 Ham and ribs came rolling into Second Harvest Food Bank on Wednesday in one of the biggest donations that the agency expects to see this year. "Very rarely do we get a tractor-trailer full of meat," said Jaynee Day, president and CEO of Second Harvest. Smithfield Foods and the United Food and Commercial Workers donated 150,000 servings of ham and ribs, which will be split between individual food boxes for local families and programs that serve food directly to those in need. The donation couldn't have come at a better time for Second Harvest. The group is seeing former donors come to ask for help in feeding their families. "People are asking, 'Do I make my mortgage payment, or do I feed my family?' " said Dennis Pittman, director of corporate communication for Smithfield, which has pledged to donate 6.4 million servings of meat to the nation's food banks. Chef Jeff Henderson of Food Network was on hand to help unload the donation, as well as to stress the importance of giving to food banks. "This is the most trying time in my 45 years," said Henderson. "We have to come together as an American family." He challenged shoppers to take one item from their cart each time they go grocery shopping and donate to Second Harvest. "If everybody gave one item, we'd have this place full in no time," said Henderson. To donate to Second Harvest Food Bank, call 615-329-3491 or visit secondharvestmidtn.org