Historically Black Tennessee State University in conjunction with Second Harvest Food Bank and One Generation Away, hosted a contact-free, mobile food pantry distribution outside the university’s indoor athletic facility for anyone experiencing hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the aftermath of the March 3 tornado.
About 200 volunteers, wearing masks, gloves and maintaining the required social distance, showed up to arrange tables, unpack boxes, fill grocery bags, and load food into the trunks of cars, as each family drove up. More than 500 families were served.
“COVID-19 has caused a lot of challenges to various communities and we want to make sure that when and where TSU can, that we help the community during this pandemic,” said Curtis Johnson, Tennessee State University’s chief of staff. “Partnering with various entities in the community is one way to help with some of the challenges that we are facing.”
Grant Winrow, special assistant to Glenda Glover, president of Tennessee State University, helped to coordinate the distribution on campus. “We are just a family here at TSU,” he said. “So, I think it is an opportunity for us to open up our resources to be able to assist any way we can.”
