SC Summer Meal Program Makes a Big Impact: 71,356 Meals Served This Summer

The South Cumberland Plateau AmeriCorps program, established in 2022, successfully mobilized 21 AmeriCorps members to alleviate child hunger and learning loss across the plateau this summer. Operating under the South Cumberland Summer Meal Program through a partnership with Sewanee Dining, service members distributed free shelf-stable meals to children 18 and under at seventeen recurring sites in Franklin, Grundy, and Marion counties. Over the course of 8 weeks, 71,356 meals were given out, along with over 500 children’s books and 400 craft activities, increasing food availability and alleviating the “summer slide” in learning during the summer months when schools are closed. 

The impact of the program is most tangible through the experiences of the Summer Meal team members. The summer 2024 AmeriCorps cohort consisted of Sewanee students, community members, students at other colleges and community members. While transporting and distributing meals was the main focus of their service, they also had the opportunity to service directly with community partner organizations across the plateau to address both immediate and long term needs. Alexis Miniat, C’25, described her service as having a multifaceted impact; “I believe the first large impact is putting food on tables. The second is making sure kids have places to read especially with the schools not having libraries anymore in the area. And the third is working with local community organizations, providing them with a stronger foundation to impact the community.” Members supported government, nonprofit and community organizations in Sewanee, Monteagle, Tracy City, Altamont, Coalmont, Beersheba Springs, and Sherwood. What follows are some highlights and accomplishments from projects supported by summer meal team members this year. 

• Community member Tammie Beers assisted the South Cumberland Chamber of Commerce in preparing for the Monteagle Mountain Craft Fair.
• Sewanee students Phoebe Tonole, Catherine Belser, and Alexis Miniat helped the Tracy City Library to get up and running at its new location, alongside supporting Housing Hub in their marketing efforts.
• Recent Sewanee graduate Jadon Silva taught math to inmates at the Grundy County Jail twice a week.
• MTSU student Hanna Tate assisted Rise Up Grundy with their youth summer camp program, as well as giving back to the Grundy County Saddle Club which she has been a part of for several years.
• Roanoke College student Maple Landis-Browne provided administrative support to the Tracy City Free Clinic.
• Sewanee students Anna Puryear and Tessa Hamann worked alongside Growing Roots to support their community garden project and events programming.
• GCHS student Nevaeh Wilson supported Mountain T.O.P. to collect and analyze data from community surveys.
• Sewanee student Jonathan Silva and GCHS graduate Chayse Brown supported the Grundy Heritage Center to prepare for an exhibit on local history.
• Recent Sewanee graduate and year-long AmeriCorps alum Pete Haight worked with Folks at Home to support their programming and develop a photography class.
• Sarabeth Bivens, a recent Sewanee graduate, alongside Evan Fuller and Rowan Renken, current Sewanee students, assisted rangers at the South Cumberland State Park with maintenance and beautification projects.
• AmeriCorps members Jennifer Percy, Pam Taylor, William Shinn, Madison Almquist and Elena Hamann all supported the planning and execution of the Summer Meal Program as part of their full-time service terms.
• Mary Neely Young, an Ohio University student, fulfilled a summer AmeriCorps service term supporting the Beersheba Springs Medical Clinic. 

All service members served in one capacity or another with a University Office, local Sewanee organization or local charity. Whether they served with the Office of Civic Engagement, Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability, University Farm, Hospitality Shop, Folks at Home, The Horse Farm, Cumberland Forest School, or Sewanee Mountain Grotto, the SCP AmeriCorps program is proud to give back to the University Community. Other service sites off the domain include It’s My Very Own, Grundy County Food Bank, Morton Memorial Food Ministry and the Grundy County Swiss Historical Society and Stoker Stampfli Farm Museum, Easy’s Dog Shelter, and Grundy Safe Communities Coalition. 

When talking about his experience working with the SCP Summer Meal Program Pete Haight said, “The effect that we, as summer associates, have on the greater South Cumberland area is tangible. This is one of the more poverty stricken areas in the United states and those at the Americorps summer meal program are eager to help. An impact as strong as the one Americorps has on its community is not easily replicable and I am glad to make a difference in something bigger than myself.” 

As the South Cumberland Summer Meal Program draws to a close, the program staff have many collaborators to thank for its success. Director Ashley Cheaves says, “We are incredibly grateful for the hard work put in by our AmeriCorps members and for the collaboration and efforts of our partner organizations, from meal distribution sites, direct service host sites, and auxiliary support. We would especially like to shout out the efforts of the McClurg dining staff under Executive Chef Dana Moss for packing the meals; truck driver Andrew Taylor; the Office of Civic Engagement staff, Sewanee Motor Pool, the South Cumberland Tourism Partnership; Save the Children Tennessee for book donations, No Kid Hungry for grant support, and Bigfoot Adventure for hosting our end of program celebration event. It takes a village, and we couldn’t have done it without you!” 

The SCP AmeriCorps program aims to diminish negative social determinants of health through direct service partnerships in Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Coffee, and Sequatchie counties. Recruitment for the 2024-2025 service year is now open, with enrollment open to anyone over the age of 17. Service members are paid a bi-weekly living stipend and are eligible for the Segal Education Award upon successful completion of their service terms. To learn more, visit our website or follow the program on social media: @scpamericorps on Instagram, @SCPAmeriCorpsProgram on Facebook.