Branch Of Nashville Inc

TO NOURISH, EDUCATE AND EQUIP PEOPLE IN THE SOUTHEAST NASHVILLE COMMUNITY THROUGH OPERATING A FOOD PANTRY, PROVIDING ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSES, AND ASSISTING WITH REFERRALS TO OTHER NEEDED RESOURCES.

THE BRANCH MOVED FROM SERVING PEOPLE ONLY LIVING IN THREE SURROUNDING ZIP CODES TO SERVING ANYONE WITH NEED WHEN THE PANDEMIC STARTED IN MARCH 2020. WE EXPANDED SERVICE FROM TWO PANTRY TIMES (4 HOURS) PER WEEK TO BEING OPEN 6 HOURS PER DAY/5 DAYS PER WEEK. DUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING, WE STARTED SERVING BY APPOINTMENT ONLY WITH CLIENTS DRIVING UP TO RECEIVE FOOD. WE EXPANDED FROM SERVING APPROXIMATELY 110 FAMILIES PER WEEK TO NEARLY 300 FAMILIES PER WEEK. THE INCREASED FOOD DISTRIBUTION AND INCREASED NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS, ALONG WITH SPACE TO SOCIAL DISTANCE VOLUNTEERS, NECESSITATED A MOVE OF OPERATIONS TO A GYM AT ANTIOCH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. THE BRANCH CONTINUED DISTRIBUTING USDA FOOD THROUGH THE EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THE FOOD DISTRIBUTED WAS OBTAINED FROM SECOND HARVEST AND DONATED BY INDIVIDUALS AND RETAIL STORES. WE SERVE AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER FOR SECOND HARVEST TO ASSIST THEM IN DELIVERY OF FOOD TO THOSE IN NEED. FAMILIES COULD RECEIVE FOOD ONCE PER MONTH. THE BRANCH DISTRIBUTED 9,922 CARTS OF FOOD TO FAMILIES TO FEED 43,922 PEOPLE WHICH ACCOUNTS TO 3700 UNDUPLICATED FAMILIES AND 15,793 UNDUPLICATED PEOPLE. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 43% OVER 2019. THE PANTRY WAS STAFFED WITH TWO FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS WHO WORKED APPROXIMATELY 4800 HOURS IN 2020.

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM OF 2020 HOSTED AROUND 200 STUDENTS FROM OVER 18 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. WE UTILIZED ONE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, 3 PART-TIME TEACHERS, AND AN ESL DIRECTOR, WHO IS ALSO A FULL-TIME TEACHER. WE OFFERED 12 CLASSES FROM LEVELS 0-5 AS WELL AS AND ADVANCED CLASS FOR STUDENTS. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, WE MOVED ALL CLASSES ONLINE AND USED ZOOM AS OUR PLATFORM. TRADITIONAL STUDENTS STUDIED TWICE A WEEK, 3 HOURS A WEEK, AND INTENSIVE STUDENTS STUDIED 4 TIMES A WEEK FOR 6 HOURS A WEEK. OUR STUDENTS LIVED PRIMARILY IN SOUTHEAST NASHVILLEANTIOCH, LAVERGNE, SMYRNA, AND MURFREESBORO; HOWEVER, THE ONLINE PLATFORM ALLOWED US TO SERVE STUDENTS IN OTHER AREAS OF TENNESSEE, AS WELL AS FLORIDA, GEORGIA, ALABAMA AND CANADA. WE USED CAMBRIDGE PRESSS VENTURES CURRICULUM; STUDENTS PURCHASED BOOKS AND WORKBOOKS. STUDENTS ALSO PAID A VERY SMALL TUITION, WHICH AMOUNTED TO ABOUT $3 PER HOUR. TRADITIONAL CLASSES WERE HELD 40 WEEKS DURING THE YEAR, AND INTENSIVE CLASSES MET 45 WEEKS DURING THE YEAR. OUR PROGRAM WAS AWARDED GRANTS FROM THE DOLLAR GENERAL LITERACY FOUNDATION ($10,000) AND TRIUMPH BANK ($10,000).

THE BRANCH MOVED FROM SERVING PEOPLE ONLY LIVING IN THREE SURROUNDING ZIP CODES TO SERVING ANYONE WITH NEED WHEN THE PANDEMIC STARTED IN MARCH 2020. WE EXPANDED SERVICE FROM TWO PANTRY TIMES (4 HOURS) PER WEEK TO BEING OPEN 6 HOURS PER DAY/5 DAYS PER WEEK. DUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING, WE STARTED SERVING BY APPOINTMENT ONLY WITH CLIENTS DRIVING UP TO RECEIVE FOOD. WE EXPANDED FROM SERVING APPROXIMATELY 110 FAMILIES PER WEEK TO NEARLY 300 FAMILIES PER WEEK. THE INCREASED FOOD DISTRIBUTION AND INCREASED NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS, ALONG WITH SPACE TO SOCIAL DISTANCE VOLUNTEERS, NECESSITATED A MOVE OF OPERATIONS TO A GYM AT ANTIOCH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. THE BRANCH CONTINUED DISTRIBUTING USDA FOOD THROUGH THE EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THE FOOD DISTRIBUTED WAS OBTAINED FROM SECOND HARVEST AND DONATED BY INDIVIDUALS AND RETAIL STORES. WE SERVE AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER FOR SECOND HARVEST TO ASSIST THEM IN DELIVERY OF FOOD TO THOSE IN NEED. FAMILIES COULD RECEIVE FOOD ONCE PER MONTH. THE BRANCH DISTRIBUTED 9,922 CARTS OF FOOD TO FAMILIES TO FEED 43,922 PEOPLE WHICH ACCOUNTS TO 3700 UNDUPLICATED FAMILIES AND 15,793 UNDUPLICATED PEOPLE. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 43% OVER 2019. THE PANTRY WAS STAFFED WITH TWO FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS WHO WORKED APPROXIMATELY 4800 HOURS IN 2020.

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM OF 2020 HOSTED AROUND 200 STUDENTS FROM OVER 18 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. WE UTILIZED ONE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, 3 PART-TIME TEACHERS, AND AN ESL DIRECTOR, WHO IS ALSO A FULL-TIME TEACHER. WE OFFERED 12 CLASSES FROM LEVELS 0-5 AS WELL AS AND ADVANCED CLASS FOR STUDENTS. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, WE MOVED ALL CLASSES ONLINE AND USED ZOOM AS OUR PLATFORM. TRADITIONAL STUDENTS STUDIED TWICE A WEEK, 3 HOURS A WEEK, AND INTENSIVE STUDENTS STUDIED 4 TIMES A WEEK FOR 6 HOURS A WEEK. OUR STUDENTS LIVED PRIMARILY IN SOUTHEAST NASHVILLEANTIOCH, LAVERGNE, SMYRNA, AND MURFREESBORO; HOWEVER, THE ONLINE PLATFORM ALLOWED US TO SERVE STUDENTS IN OTHER AREAS OF TENNESSEE, AS WELL AS FLORIDA, GEORGIA, ALABAMA AND CANADA. WE USED CAMBRIDGE PRESSS VENTURES CURRICULUM; STUDENTS PURCHASED BOOKS AND WORKBOOKS. STUDENTS ALSO PAID A VERY SMALL TUITION, WHICH AMOUNTED TO ABOUT $3 PER HOUR. TRADITIONAL CLASSES WERE HELD 40 WEEKS DURING THE YEAR, AND INTENSIVE CLASSES MET 45 WEEKS DURING THE YEAR. OUR PROGRAM WAS AWARDED GRANTS FROM THE DOLLAR GENERAL LITERACY FOUNDATION ($10,000) AND TRIUMPH BANK ($10,000).