“I leave each volunteer session knowing I’ve helped make a difference. And along the way, I’ve made some great friends. ”
It’s National Volunteer Appreciation Week, and we’re celebrating the people who make our mission possible: our incredible volunteers!
In 2024, over 1,600 volunteers spent 9,000 hours helping The Nashville Food Project by growing, cooking, and sharing with us. From chopping onions to shoveling compost, our volunteers show up with heart, hands, and a whole lot of hustle.
This year we’ve already experienced an outpouring of love and support from our incredible volunteer community. The energy and generosity we’ve seen recently is nothing short of inspiring. So far this year, volunteers helped prepare and distribute over 86,000 meals across 53 meal partner sites in Nashville. In the gardens, volunteers have worked side by side with community members to clean up plots and distribute compost, helping us kick off the growing season strong.
But numbers alone don’t tell the whole story.
At The Nashville Food Project, we often say that food is the vessel, but community is the mission. In the face of increasing food costs, diminishing government assistance, and broader uncertainty, the feeling of connection and care we see in our volunteer community is more treasured than ever.
One group that embodies this spirit is our Tuesday and Wednesday evening kitchen crew. Rain, tornado, or shine, this lively crew shows up every week to prep meals, laugh over wonky carrots, and always leave the kitchen spotless (even if that means staying late). What began as a volunteer shift has, over time, turned into a little family.
Abhinav Krishnan, who joined the Tuesday crew after moving back to Nashville last year, says he was looking for a way to give back and connect with people who care about sustainability and food justice. He found working in the kitchen is the perfect way to engage with his community and uplift Nashville’s local food system.
“Our little army of volunteers save tons of fading produce from the landfill and turn them into nourishing meals for the community. Every head of lettuce represents not just waste averted, but a body nourished.”
Sue Wright, one of our incredible Volunteer Leads, steers the ship each Wednesday evening. Sue first volunteered with her daughter, and says she was hooked from day one. “We started with salads and dressing containers,” she laughed. “Now it’s just part of my week. I get to do something good and be with people I genuinely enjoy.”
We’re so grateful to have so many wonderful volunteers like Abhinav and Sue, who demonstrate our values of hospitality and service so well! Thank you to all our volunteers — whether you’ve been with us for years or just joined us this season. You bring our mission to life. Your time, energy, and heart make our work possible, and our community stronger.
This National Volunteer Appreciation Week, we celebrate you — not just for what you do, but for who you are.
From all of us at The Nashville Food Project: we’re so grateful you’re part of our family.
Author Maggie Atchley is often the first person volunteers meet as The Nashville Food Project’s Volunteer Engagement Manager.