The officials at Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee had a hard time convincing Jahmai Mashack that he should be publicly recognized for the work he did with the nonprofit. It was only after the Tennessee senior guard learned it would likely help even more people that he agreed to promote how much he gave back.
During the holiday season, Mashack raised $14,700 for Second Harvest through a virtual food drive. The amount led to 21,335 pounds of food being distributed to 1,194 people from 398 households.
Mashack’s initial goal was to raise enough money to feed just 30 families at Thanksgiving. A few hours before the UT basketball team took the court for a game, Mashack made a post on social media asking Vol Nation to help him give back.
By the time Mashack finished playing, the goal had been exceeded by thousands of dollars.
”I feel like I’ve had a lot of pretty good accomplishments in my sport so far and I feel like I’ve done some really good things, but this is by far one of the things that I’m most proud of,” Mashack says.
Mashack’s devotion to service stems from his upbringing in Southern California. His mom, Meika, would take Mashack and his siblings to Skid Row in Los Angeles to feed the homeless population.
Mashack made an appearance at one of Second Harvest’s drive-thru mobile pantries before Christmas to see the faces of the people his virtual fundraiser was helping.
“This is something that’s super important to me, it’s something that I’ve always done,” Mashack says. “My family has really taught me to give and that’s probably one of the most important things, especially when you have a platform like I have.”
The partnership between Mashack and Second Harvest began when Second Harvest spoke with UT athletes who had NIL contracts with Spyre Sports to see if they had interest in supporting the food bank. Second Harvest provided different options for the athletes to choose from.
“Jahmai, especially, has supported us with his time, talent and voice in the community,” Jon Rice, the engagement and communications manager for Second Harvest. “He has attended our Double Your Donation Day event, our Volley for Hope pickleball event, and now a Mobile Pantry Distribution at Redemption Church in Knoxville.”
First of many
Having an athlete like Mashack involved with Second Harvest is an important resource for the food bank.
“His partnership allows Vol Nation to see that Jahmai truly gives his all on and off the basketball court by supporting the community that has supported him during his time at UT,” Rice says. “This also allows community members who may not know much about Second Harvest an opportunity to learn about our services, either by participating in one of our many food access programs, or by choosing to support our work by volunteering, hosting a food drive and/or becoming a donor.”
Rachael Ellis, the director of development at Second Harvest, was thrilled to see Mashack make an appearance at the drive-thru mobile pantry and allow the food bank to promote all the work he’s done to benefit others.
“Jahmai is one of a kind and has a huge heart. The one thing I hope people learn about him is that he and his family are simply wonderful people,” Ellis says. “He genuinely cares about the community and wants to give back because it is something that was instilled in him as a child. It took a lot for him to agree to receive the recognition and I am grateful that he allowed us to shine a light on his generosity. I believe it has already inspired others to follow in his footsteps.”
That sentiment is music to Mashack’s ears.
“I wanted to be the first of many,” he says. “I wanted to inspire people to contribute. Whether they’re a kid watching me at home or they’re an adult who doesn’t know how to give, doesn’t know where to go to give – I want to be able to use my platform to give people an opportunity to show why giving is so important.”