Meal Partnerships, Meals, Community, Poverty & Food Insecurity
Jenny Barker
Fueling Potential: How Summer Meals Support ...

At the Andrew Jackson Clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, kids are spending the summer learning, growing—and thanks to The Nashville Food Project’s made-from-scratch meals—staying nourished, too.

Through the Sweet Peas Summer Eats for Kids program, sponsored by Jackson®, hundreds of healthy meals are delivered each week to support youth during a time when access to regular food can drop off.

This partnership is part of The Nashville Food Project’s Community Meals program, which brings nutritious food directly to organizations already creating safe, supportive spaces for young people.

Now in its sixth year, the collaboration with Jackson is helping serve over 100,000 meals this summer—fueling not just plates, but potential across the city.

Fueling Potential: How Summer Meals Support Youth at the Boys & Girls Club
Community, Gardens, Volunteers
The Nashville Food Project
The Community Agriculture Network Is Live—And ...

The Community Agriculture Network is a collaboration of growing spaces—community gardens, church plots, urban farms, and orchards—each managed by trusted leaders in their respective communities. These sites are independently managed but supported by TNFP through shared tools, technical assistance, access to seed and compost, and a network of volunteers and educators.

The Community Agriculture Network Is Live—And Growing!

At The Table

At the Table, Episode 2

Welcome to At the Table, a space where we share what is happening day to day at The Nashville Food Project and invite our community into the work.

Chef Bianca, our Chief Culinary Officer, and Peter Burns, our Director of Agricultural Operations, recently sat down to reflect on the season ahead and the many ways people across Nashville are stepping forward to get involved.

In our kitchens, volunteers are already hard at work preparing nourishing meals that will be shared with nonprofit partners across the city. Each week, volunteers help wash vegetables, chop ingredients, portion meals, and keep our kitchens moving. These sessions have become an important part of how we connect with our community, and we are always looking for new ways to welcome people into the process.

At the same time, our garden spaces are beginning to come alive with the energy of a new growing season. As the weather warms and the soil begins to wake up, we are seeing more neighbors, volunteers, and community groups showing up with excitement for the work ahead.

In response, we are inviting volunteers to join us in preparing our growing spaces for the season. This includes helping prepare fields, organize tools, and get the equipment ready that gardeners will rely on throughout the months ahead. These early days of preparation are an essential part of what makes the harvest possible later in the year.

Whether in the garden or in the kitchen, this work is powered by people who care about their neighbors and want to be part of building a stronger food system in Nashville.

If you have been looking for a way to get involved, we would love to welcome you. Volunteers make this work possible.

You can learn more about volunteering at
thenashvillefoodproject.org/givetime

There are many ways to support the work. You can join a volunteer shift in the garden or kitchen. You can participate in one of our upcoming events. You can also help by contributing items that our kitchens need most right now, including cooking oils, rice, and pasta.

To explore volunteer opportunities and upcoming events, visit
thenashvillefoodproject.org/events

Thank you for joining us at the table.

Chef Bianca, Peter, and the entire team at The Nashville Food Project look forward to welcoming you into our kitchens, our gardens, and our community.

Community food security grows when more people pull up a chair.

Thank you for being at the table with us. We look forward to seeing you in the kitchen, in the garden, and around shared meals in the months ahead.

Watch the full At the Table conversation

on YouTube or Instagram.

At The Table, Episode 1

This series is an invitation to slow down and pay attention. To notice what is showing up in our kitchens, our gardens, and our city. To reflect on how the simple, daily acts of growing, cooking, and sharing food are building community across Nashville.

Each month, you will hear directly from staff members about what they are seeing in their day-to-day work. What is shifting. What is needed. Where hope is emerging. And how you can join us in cultivating food security that is steady, relational, and rooted in care.

This month, we sat down with Maggie, our Volunteer Engagement Manager, and Brad, one of our Meals Coordinators.

What We Are Seeing

As the new year begins, we are already seeing an influx of support from volunteers and partners across the city. That encouragement matters. Community food security is not built alone. It is built together.

On the kitchen side, Brad shared that we are paying close attention to our dry storage. Pantry staples like oil, pasta, and rice remain essential to the meals we prepare each week. These foundational ingredients allow us to respond flexibly and consistently as needs shift.

Behind the scenes, we are also refining our donation sorting process to preserve more food on the front end. This helps us increase kitchen capacity and steward ingredients with greater care before they move into meal preparation. Thoughtful systems allow us to scale without sacrificing quality.

Partnership in Action

Maggie highlighted the strength of our long-standing partnerships with organizations on the front lines, including Open Table Nashville and Trinity Community Commons.

Recently, a group of dedicated volunteers fired up the smoker and prepared Hawaiian ribs served over pineapple rice. These meals were individually portioned and shared specifically with Open Table Nashville.

Moments like this remind us that hospitality is both practical and creative. It is planning and partnership. It is smoked ribs and rice. It is listening to what a partner needs and responding with care.

An Invitation

At the Table is not only about what we are doing. It is about who we are doing it with.

If you are already volunteering, giving, or partnering with us, thank you. Your presence strengthens this work.

give time

If you are new and curious about how to get involved, we invite you to explore our upcoming events and volunteer opportunities on our website. Whether in the kitchen, in the gardens, or through financial support, there is a place for you here.

Learn more

Community food security grows when more people pull up a chair.

Thank you for being at the table with us. We look forward to seeing you in the kitchen, in the garden, and around shared meals in the months ahead.

Watch the full At the Table conversation

on YouTube or Instagram.