City of Knoxville, TN
11/12/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 11/12/2025 10:54
City Council Approves Emergency Funding for Food Assistance
Tonight, City Council unanimously approved Mayor Indya Kincannon's emergency ordinance to help support food assistance programs in the Knoxville area.
This passage means the City will allocate $100,000 from the City's Unassigned Fund Balance to address critical food shortages in Knoxville. In turn, United Way of Greater Knoxville has also agreed to match this amount with funds from private donors, resulting in $200,000 total additional dollars.
"A huge thank you to Council for their swift action to make sure we can get resources to those in need quickly," said Mayor Indya Kincannon. "We are seeing a sharp increase in food-related requests into our 2-1-1/3-1-1 Call Center. This money, coupled with United Way's matching donation, is desperately needed and will hopefully provide some resources and hope during these challenging times."
"United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK) has been convening voices and connecting resources to understand and meet the urgent and ongoing needs of our community, and City of Knoxville has answered the call," UWGK CEO Chrystal Armstrong Brown said. "The $100,000 approved by City Council, matched with $100,000 raised through our annual fundraising campaign and coupled with our organization's ability to quickly and effectively activate our network of agencies, will help thoughtfully distribute funds, stock food pantries and support our neighbors and families in need of food."
United Way will immediately begin the funding application and allocation process for organizations within city limits. They expect to have the funds dispersed within 10 days.
This ordinance comes after food banks and community food providers have reported significant requests for assistance, following the disruption of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
There are nearly 35,000 Knox County residents who rely on SNAP benefits. A recent survey shows local food banks have experienced a 20-50% increase in requests for services.
This passage means the City will allocate $100,000 from the City's Unassigned Fund Balance to address critical food shortages in Knoxville. In turn, United Way of Greater Knoxville has also agreed to match this amount with funds from private donors, resulting in $200,000 total additional dollars.
"A huge thank you to Council for their swift action to make sure we can get resources to those in need quickly," said Mayor Indya Kincannon. "We are seeing a sharp increase in food-related requests into our 2-1-1/3-1-1 Call Center. This money, coupled with United Way's matching donation, is desperately needed and will hopefully provide some resources and hope during these challenging times."
"United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK) has been convening voices and connecting resources to understand and meet the urgent and ongoing needs of our community, and City of Knoxville has answered the call," UWGK CEO Chrystal Armstrong Brown said. "The $100,000 approved by City Council, matched with $100,000 raised through our annual fundraising campaign and coupled with our organization's ability to quickly and effectively activate our network of agencies, will help thoughtfully distribute funds, stock food pantries and support our neighbors and families in need of food."
United Way will immediately begin the funding application and allocation process for organizations within city limits. They expect to have the funds dispersed within 10 days.
This ordinance comes after food banks and community food providers have reported significant requests for assistance, following the disruption of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
There are nearly 35,000 Knox County residents who rely on SNAP benefits. A recent survey shows local food banks have experienced a 20-50% increase in requests for services.
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City of Knoxville, TN published this content on November 12, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on November 12, 2025 at 16:54 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]