A significant increase in the need for food among the Brainerd community’s most vulnerable residents recently prompted the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce MidTown Council to convene community stakeholders to help fight hunger in their footprint, says Bess Steverson, MidTown Council president.
The MidTown Council and its partners opened the Brainerd Community Food Pantry at Brainerd United Methodist Church Oct. 14.
The Brainerd Community Food Pantry is modeled after the Red Bank Community Pantry, which serves 175 families, or about 800 people, twice a month. Due to the size of the Brainerd community, its advisory board anticipates serving a larger number of families and individuals.
“The time to act and come together to care for our neighbors is now,” says Steverson, who’s serving as advisory board chair.
Like the Red Bank Pantry, the Brainerd Community Food Pantry partners with the Chattanooga Area Food Bank to access resources the food bank offers through its association with Feeding America, such as bulk buying power.
Through this partnership, financial donations allow the Brainerd Community Food Pantry to buy in bulk from the Chattanooga Food Bank at a discounted rate, providing four meals for $1.
The Chattanooga Area Food Bank serves about 18 ZIP codes through voucher and emergency food box programs. Approximately 10% of the requests for food it receives are from 37411, the Brainerd ZIP code.
Brainerd Community Food Pantry will distribute food on the second Wednesday of the month from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and the fourth Wednesday of the month from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
To access the food, those in need should call 211 (United Way’s local resource hotline) to receive a voucher.
Visit brainerdfoodpantry.com to donate and volunteer.
Source: Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce MidTown Council