Metro Social Services Feeds Hundreds of Nashvillians

Today, Metro Social Services (MSS) hosted its second Food Pop Up food giveaway in 2026. This brings MSS' total number of Food Pop Ups to six (6) since Metro Council allocated $200,000 in the department's budget to address Nashville food insecurity at the start of the fiscal year.

Staff at today's event packed 500 food boxes and 500 bags of meat into the vehicles of those in need. The boxes and bags can feed families anywhere from 2-3 weeks, depending on family size.

Though the event started at 8 a.m., cars were lined up and wrapped around two streets in the neighborhood as early as 6 a.m.

This morning's giveaway was hosted in conjunction with Olivet Missionary Baptist Church on Ewing Drive in North Nashville. MSS has intentionally partnered with trusted community groups and faith-based organizations in neighborhoods, bringing food directly to communities in need.

MSS' Food Pop Up program is part of the department's "Hunger No More Nashville" food initiative that has intentionally, compassionately, and energetically delivered food directly to the heart of Nashville food deserts. To date, the initiative has put more than 5,000 boxes of food and hundreds of bags of protein in the homes of Nashvillians.

Numbers from today

• 46% of recipients age 56 years or older.
• 66% not receiving SNAP benefits
• 83% requested MSS' help with accessing food beyond today's giveaway, illustrating a need for ongoing food support

This critical and life-saving program was born out of MSS' report "The High Cost of Low Wages in Nashville" that discovered:

• 1-in-5 Nashville children suffer from food insecurity
• Over 30% of single moms face food insecurity
• Average annual client income of MSS clients - $11,015
• 23.0% of the population in 37208 is below the federal poverty threshold, compared to 11.1% of Davidson County overall.
• Overall, 7.2% of Davidson County households receive SNAP benefits; in 37208, 18.5% of households receive cash public assistance or SNAP

Quick FAQs

How MSS Feeds Nashville (a look at all of our feeding programs/initiatives)

• Food Pop Ups
• Annual: Thanksgiving and Christmas food giveaways
• Annual Family Fun Day
• 60+ year-old Home Meal Delivery program (seniors/disabled)
• "Metro Meals", drive-thru food box pickup for Metro employees facing food insecurity
• "Pet Parents" program, partnership with Southern Alliance for Pets and Animal Welfare, providing 300 meals every Saturday July 2025 - September 2025 for pet parents who are unhoused and/or living below the poverty level

B-roll from today