HCA Healthcare kicks off month of volunteerism and announces $2 million HCA Healthcare Foundation grant to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee

Today, we are proud to announce that the HCA Healthcare Foundation will give $2 million to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee to support the development of their new Grow for Good campus in Nashville, Tennessee. Since 2020, Second Harvest has seen a 46% increase in neighbors seeking assistance, driving an unprecedented level of need across its 46-county service area.

The new campus will more than double capacity with expanded warehousing and cold storage while also creating space to deliver services beyond food, including healthcare partnerships, nutrition education and workforce development. Designed as a hub for collaboration with community partners, the campus will help families not only access nutritious food today but also gain the support they need to build a more stable, healthy future. April also kicks off HCA Healthcare’s national We Show Up for Our Communities days of service volunteer initiative.

Second Harvest is the largest hunger relief organization in Tennessee, serving 46 counties throughout the state. HCA Healthcare and the HCA Healthcare Foundation have supported Second Harvest for more than 25 years, including helping launch the organization’s School Food Pantry Program, which now provides consistent access to food for students and families directly at schools. The collaboration also includes hosting monthly Mobile Markets at TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center to address food insecurity in the community and supporting a pilot of the Food Is Medicine intervention program, which integrates nutritious food directly into healthcare to help patients experiencing food insecurity receive medically supportive foods alongside their care.

Did you know? HCA Healthcare colleagues have reported serving more than 14,600 volunteer hours with Second Harvest since 2018.

“When you meet families across Middle and West Tennessee, you see just how much a steady source of food can change everything,” said Nancy Keil, President and CEO of Second Harvest. “This extraordinary investment from the HCA Healthcare Foundation is about more than building a new campus. It’s about building a stronger, more responsive way to care for our neighbors. Their support will allow us to reach more communities with the food and support they need to thrive. We’re deeply grateful for HCA Healthcare’s longstanding partnership and their belief in what’s possible when we show up for each other.”

HCA Healthcare’s We Show Up for Our Communities is held annually in alignment with National Volunteer Month. Throughout the month, HCA Healthcare colleagues across the country will donate time and expertise to help improve the health and well-being of the communities it serves. Last year during the initiative, more than 12,500 colleagues volunteered approximately 39,000 hours with 630 organizations. In total throughout the year, HCA Healthcare colleagues volunteered over 350,000 hours, and over 10,000 charitable organizations were supported through donations and volunteering.

Since its inception in 1998, the HCA Healthcare Foundation has contributed over $347 million in grants and matching gifts to more than 18,500 agencies and organizations. The Foundation’s journey is a testament to the power of giving back, leadership involvement and HCA Healthcare’s commitment to the communities it serves.