Goal to raise $1,000,000 in historic year

On Thursday, Dec. 10 starting at 6 a.m., Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee will host the 10th annual Double Your Donation Day. Double Your Donation, or “DYD,” is a one-day telethon and fundraiser benefitting Second Harvest Food Bank. All donations made between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Dec. 10 will be matched up to $500,000 by generous corporate and anonymous contributors.

Elaine Streno, Executive Director of Second Harvest said, “It’s no secret that this year has been unpredictable and historic. Tens of thousands of families are still experiencing unemployment, food insecurity and are uncertain of what’s to come.” She continued, “This Double Your Donation Day, we hope you’ll help provide holiday meals to East Tennesseans unsure of where their next meal might come from. We are so grateful to the sponsors and contributors who helped raise this monumental match. We truly are hopeful that the 10th anniversary of this day will be spectacular, but we can’t do it without you!” 

Due to the pandemic, more families than ever face hunger. Before the start of the pandemic, the number of people in East Tennessee experiencing food insecurity was 169,000. This means the number of people facing hunger has increased by nearly 30% in less than a year. Now in East Tennessee, nearly 240,000 people experience food insecurity. In this historic year, help Second Harvest raise ONE MILLION DOLLARS to provide three million meals!

To make a donation on DYD Day, Thursday Dec. 10, visit secondharvestetn.org/dyd2020. You can also call the DYD telethon line at 865.243.8227. All donations made over the phone or online will be doubled up to $500,000.