Transport Enterprise Leasing (TEL) recently donated $10,000 to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank's efforts to end hunger in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, according to a news release.
The company made an initial $5,000 donation, then followed that with a second $5,000 grant after learning more about the organization.
"Food banks are a lifeline for many in the best of times," Marc Schmidt, vice president of the Lease Purchase Division of TEL, said in the release. "They have become even more so with rising food prices and other economic pressures affecting families."
Melissa Blevins, president and CEO of Chattanooga Area Food Bank, said support from companies such as TEL is critical to fulfilling the food bank's mission.
"Hunger is a solvable issue, and TEL's investment of $10,000 this year will help us provide food and hope to our neighbors who need it most," she said in the release. "We're on track to break all records and provide food for more than 17.5 million meals this year, and TEL's generous support will make a lasting impact in communities across our 20 counties."
The food bank sources donations from grocery stores, manufacturers, farms, individuals, food drives and the USDA, then sorts and packages the food at one of three warehouses in Chattanooga and Dalton, Georgia. The food is also delivered to church pantries, senior centers and other nonprofits across 20 counties in the region that provide meals, sack packs for children, emergency food boxes and mobile pantry pop-ups, according to the food bank's website.
— Carla Young Harrington