GREENE COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – In a significant boost to local food distribution efforts, Second Harvest Food Bank has been bolstered by a generous $40,000 donation. This comes after renowned local philanthropist Scott Niswonger matched funds raised by Greene County, aiding a food distribution event held at the Greene County Fairgrounds.

Mayor Kevin Morrison shared that he had personally reached out to Niswonger, requesting his support for the upcoming food distribution through a donation to Second Harvest.

“Scott is a close friend and possesses a deep commitment to philanthropy,” Morrison remarked. “With Mr. Niswonger’s generous contribution, along with our local government’s support, we were able to fund this event. We might need to organize similar initiatives in the future. Notably, our investments tend to yield returns about three times their value, significantly benefiting those most in need.”

Currently, nearly 7,200 residents in Greene County, which constitutes about 10% of the population, depend on SNAP benefits.

Niswonger explained that by matching the funds, his aim is to ensure that every Greene County resident relying on SNAP has fair access to food resources.

“You take care of your own family, and then you take care of your neighbor, and these are neighbors that have a particular need right now,” he said. “We think we have about 1,700 cars here today and getting this very necessary food staple today.”

Second Harvest Food Bank launched its emergency SNAP Food Assistance Plan on Nov. 1 in response to federal SNAP benefits ceasing to flow.

So far, Second Harvest has stocked almost $600,000 worth of food for distributions this week. They’ve used half the sum so far.

Executive director of Second Harvest, Rhonda Chafin, said she’s incredibly grateful for the donation, and the money will go a long way.

“The resources are wearing thin to be able to meet all these needs, and the number of SNAP recipients we’re trying to serve is overwhelming,” she said. “100% of the donation will go to help SNAP recipients. 52,000 people are missing their benefits, over $10 million that they will not receive this month, and they need that for food.”

So far this week, Second Harvest has served nearly 3,000 families. Chafin added there’s still a lot of uncertainty to deal with and work to get done.

“We’re just encouraging the community to give,” she said. “We need more support to be able to source more food to meet all the needs of those that don’t have SNAP benefits. We encourage them to donate monetarily, donate time, or they can donate food or do a virtual food drive on our website.”