For more than 30 years, Rutherford County has been served by the food banks at the Rutherford County Emergency Food Bank, serving Murfreesboro, and Nourish Food Bank, serving Smyrna, La Vergne, and the surrounding communities. In an effort to combine strengths, eliminate duplication of services, and to better serve the area as a whole, these two non-profit agencies have decided to merge assets and operations.

Pete Adams, Board Chair of the Rutherford County Emergency Food Bank stated, "We are very excited to work with our long-time friends at Nourish. They have provided outstanding vision and cooperation with us for many years, and we feel that it makes a great deal of sense to work together with them formally."

Ladawna Parham, Executive Director of Nourish Food Bank stated, "Our strategic plan to help those dealing with hunger in Rutherford County and the surrounding area will be strengthened by this new merger. By working together under the auspices of Nourish Food Bank, we will better be able to assist those in poverty facing food shortages with their families."

Much consideration and thought has been put into this merger between the two food banks. Assistance and guidance has been sought from the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties.

"I believe the consolidation of resources into one central operation that will serve both the Smyrna-LaVergne area and the Murfreesboro area is a wise use of resources and will offer better stewardship of donations. Both are long time United Way partners, and we feel that with them working together in this manner, they can achieve greater results in the way of hunger alleviation in Rutherford County" said Meagan Flippin, CEO of The United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties.

The Rutherford County Emergency Food Bank and Nourish Food Bank will remain in place at their current locations under the name of Nourish Food Bank. They are located at 211 Bridge Ave, Murfreesboro, TN and at 130 Richardson St. Smyrna, TN.