The Chattanooga Area Food Bank serves 20 counties in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. Keeping these counties healthy and nourished throughout the COVID-19 crisis has only been possible thanks to our 23 Operations staff members who physically handled approximately 70.8 % of the 14,147,532 total lbs. distributed from July 2020 to March 2021. The Operations Team is responsible for the logistics of food procurement, order preparation, fulfillment of orders for our partner agencies and programs, and delivery/distribution of the food. They are the strength and muscle of the Food Bank!

They move the food.

• Truck Delivery - 48%

• Agency Pick-up - 13.9%

• Emergency Food Box Distribution - 8.9%

• Food Rescue Retail Program - 24.4%

• Direct Donor Delivery/Fresh Milk Program - 4.8%

They moved food that provided 11,789,610 meals!

They are true heroes, willing to do anything to help out the communities we serve. In addition, they manage the retail partnerships with 87 stores in our 20-county service area. They also procure 14,927,313 lbs. of shelf-stable goods, fresh produce, and dairy while maintaining inventory accuracy of 98% with minimal waste at 2%. Our maintenance department-which includes a staff of two-is responsible for a fleet of 17 trucks, vans, and cars. Our Operations Team is also responsible for maintaining 56,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space in 3 different locations in 2 states, in the safest manner possible. Our Operations Team is an invaluable part of the Food Bank’s mission to end hunger in our communities.

They are the heart of the Food Bank.