Pulaski, TN — Just off Pulaski’s downtown square, behind the United Methodist Church, a bright green-and-white window reads Rural Food Delivery. Inside the former Sharp Motor Company building, neighbors are working together to make sure local families have food on the table.
As the sun began to set, volunteers steadily filled the building after finishing their own workdays. That evening, nearly 40 people packed food boxes for families across Giles County.
Rural Food Delivery (RFD) serves hundreds of families each week. This particular week alone, volunteers packed 575 bags of food, one for each family served. The organization hosts drive-through food distributions on select Saturdays at the Giles County Agricultural Park and delivers food directly to individuals who are disabled or lack reliable transportation.
What sets RFD apart is its emphasis on fresh, perishable food. Along with pantry staples, families may receive carrots, sweet potatoes, yogurt, meat and other nutritious items that are not always available through traditional food pantries.
Each month, Rural Food Delivery hosts a large distribution that includes both perishable and non-perishable foods. Weekly Pop-Up distributions also provide approximately 300 boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables to local families.
Through a Community Development Block Grant awarded to Giles County Government to address food insecurity, Rural Food Delivery received critical infrastructure upgrades, including a walk-in cooler and freezer, pallet jacks, a forklift, conveyor systems, shelving and other equipment that has significantly expanded the organization’s capacity.
“The infrastructure has paved the way for our operations by allowing us to keep a larger amount of food on hand and stay much more organized,” said Kevin Corbett. “Before, we were using one of our refrigerated trucks just to store food. Now we have the cooler and freezer space to accept more donated meat. Recently, we were even able to provide three different meats to every family we served.”
There are no income or eligibility requirements to receive assistance from Rural Food Delivery. Whether someone is facing a long-term hardship or a temporary setback—such as missing work because of illness or cancer treatments—the organization is there to help ensure families have access to food when they need it most.
Rural Food Delivery relies on volunteers to continue its mission of serving neighbors throughout Giles County. Those interested in volunteering or learning more can visit www.communityrfd.org.
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Media Contact:
Sydney Brewer, Marketing & Communications Director
sbrewer@sctdd.org
