PROBLEM STATEMENTS:

(a) As the next potential Governor of the State of Tennessee, my main priority is to end hunger and improve health outcomes for vulnerable communities across the State of Tennessee, especially the rural counties that have been neglected for too long. No child, elder, or person should go hungry while billionaires are being padded with tax incentives.

(b) Access to enough nutritious food for a healthy, active life is a basic necessity for thousands of Tennesseans currently experiencing hunger across the state. The consequences of inadequate food and its negative health outcomes across the lifespan are well-known. Atwater will promote comprehensive solutions to improve access to nutritious foods through humanitarian assistance around the state and federal nutrition programs. In particular, I support rural communities at greater risk of hunger and those that are historically disenfranchised.

Child Poverty:

(a) Children across the State of Tennessee have been grossly neglected due to the withholding of TANF, which has been sitting in an accumulative account for over six years while children were living in a poverty-stricken state suffering from food insecurity, malnutrition, at-risk health problems, decreased educational function, and living in cars and hotels. This is probably the most inhumane action of withholding funds to feed children.

(b) Cuts to nutrition support programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) risk worsening obesity rates.

(c) The long-term effects of child poverty are linked to increased trauma, impacting health, education, and long-term economic stability.

(d) Child poverty in Tennessee affects approximately 19% of children, according to Tennessee data and recent reports, with about 1 in 5 children living below the federal poverty line. While rates have decreased from over 26% in 2014, progress has slowed due to rising costs, leaving Tennessee above the national average.

(e) Data from early 2026 indicates the child poverty rate is roughly 19.1%.

(f) Beyond the 18-19% in official poverty, an additional 35% of children live in households classified as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), meaning over 50% of Tennessee children face financial hardship.

(g) Poverty disproportionately affects minority children, with 72% of Black children and 69% of Hispanic children living in households below the ALICE threshold.

Adult Poverty:

• The working poor is a significant portion of the workforce that works in hourly positions with fluctuating income and no benefits, making them vulnerable to financial crises.

• Adult poverty in Tennessee affects approximately 12.5% of adults aged 18–64, with an overall state poverty rate of 14%—higher than the 12.5% national average. Beyond official poverty, 30% of Tennessee households are classified as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), meaning they work but cannot afford basic necessities, bringing total financial hardship to 44% of households.

• Poverty rates are highest among Black Tennesseans, adults without a high school diploma, and the unemployed.

• The median household income in Tennessee ($67,631) is significantly lower than the U.S. median ($77,719), contributing to the high number of working households struggling to keep pace with costs.

• The rising costs and wages data clearly show that the average monthly survival budget for a single adult in Tennessee is $1,260 and over $3,000 for a family of four, which is difficult to meet with low-wage jobs.

• Poor and low-income households in Tennessee face higher health risks, including a drop in life expectancy, and often bear the brunt of rising energy costs.

Atwater will implement a Food Security Rescue Plan to correct the mistreatment of children and their families as it relates to food, rent, and childcare.

I would release approximately $717 Million in TANF funds to feed children across the State of Tennessee. Every zip code in the State of Tennessee will be strengthened by its local food systems through community initiatives and programs to further reduce the chances of food insecurity. These initiatives serve as a safety net for families who may occasionally struggle to put food on the table.

Atwater's Goal and Strategies:

Some of the solutions that contribute to improved food security include:

I would release approximately $717 Million in TANF funds to feed children across the State of Tennessee. Every zip code in the State of Tennessee will be strengthened by its local food systems through community initiatives and programs to further reduce the chances of food insecurity. These initiatives serve as a safety net for families who may occasionally struggle to put food on the table.

Atwater's Goal and Strategies:

Implement a livable wage of $18.50 - $21.50 to address inflation, gentrification, and displacement of native Tennesseans from their neighborhoods.

Shared Food Resources: These programs provide shared tools and spaces for food preparation and storage, along with offering free classes on food preparation and preservation.

Financial Literacy Workshops: Classes on financial management help families stretch their food budgets further, enhancing their overall food security.

Community Refrigeration Facilities: Access to shared, generator-powered refrigeration spaces helps to reduce food losses during power outages. Continuous safe storage of perishable foods is important to reduce the potential for foodborne illness.

Atwater will address food insecurity through a mix of community-led and government-supported initiatives, including over 10,500 rural and urban farms & gardens, robust mutual aid networks like community fridges, and food rescue operations.

Key strategies involve increasing fresh produce access through organizations like Keep Growing Tennessee and Planted Tennessee, supporting food pantries with municipal funding, and utilizing mobile food distributions.

Key methods to combat food insecurity in Tennessee include: 

• Focus on addressing the social determinants of health and correcting health inequities.

• Works on a variety of issues to help protect the health of every community and make disease prevention a Tennessee priority.

• Urban Agriculture: Tennessee will see a major urban farming movement, including M-Town Farm and The Greening of Tennessee, which provide fresh, locally grown produce to neighborhoods with limited access to grocery stores.

• Mutual Aid & Community Fridges: Networks of volunteer-run fridges and pantries will be placed throughout the rural counties and underserved communities to provide free food to residents.

• Food Rescue and Distribution: Organizations like Volunteer Harvest and Tennessee Metro Food Rescue will redirect surplus food to families in need, significantly reducing waste.

• Government & Non-Profit Support: The State of Tennessee will allocate $50 million to support local food pantries and will engage initiatives like Metro Community Food Bank to assist with distribution.

• Educational Initiatives: Programs like the Tennessee Food Academy and others will provide education on nutrition and sustainable food systems. Tennessee Food Academy (TFA) will inspire young Tennesseans and families to grow as leaders through the power of hands-on, good food programming. TFA will transition their food programs online, cooking each week with their students and practicing fundamental, lifelong culinary knowledge and skills that allow families to improve their diets and do more home-cooking.

• Policy Advocacy: The Tennessee Food Policy Council will work to improve access to nutritious food through policy changes. The TFPC will be an education, advocacy, and policy organization led by Tennesseans committed to creating a sustainable, local food system that promotes food security, food justice and food sovereignty in rural and urban Tennessee.

TENNESSEE URBAN AND RURAL FOOD DESERT COMBAT ZONE & SATELLITE NUTRITIONAL ADVANCEMENT CENTER KIOSKS (SNACK)

Atwater will place neighborhood food kiosks in Tennessee, including mobile grocery stores and specialized stands, and address food insecurity by providing accessible, fresh, and affordable food options directly to communities, particularly in areas with limited access to full-service grocery stores. (TANF ($20 million dollars) funds or any CARES funds remaining will be allocated to erect these mobile food kiosks, which will be managed by a special committee. CARES Act funds can be used to address food deserts if the initiative directly mitigates the economic or health effects to support emergency food assistance, enhance local food supply chains to tackle food insecurity, and fund community initiatives to improve access to healthy food.

Atwater will implement an innovative Food Desert Combat Zone. Allocate funds to address the lack of nutritional needs in underserved communities. Place Satellite Nutritional Advancement Center Kiosks (SNACK) in every underserved community to address poverty and hunger until we can come up with a master plan to serve all of our citizens most humanely. Food is a basic necessity, not brick and mortar. Reestablish the Park Commission Food and Community Outreach Programs across the State of Tennessee, especially in rural areas.

Options include mobile food pantries, pop-up shops, and community fridges that serve areas. These initiatives are crucial for improving food access and fostering community resilience. Atwater will address patients of a large health care system in Tennessee who self-identify as food insecure and who live further away from healthy grocery stores compared with food-secure patients. Second, we will explore whether food insecurity and distance to healthy grocery stores are related to ecological measures of vehicle availability in the area of residence.

Most Tennesseans (52%) report that in the previous 12 months, they never had an issue buying more food if theirs ran out. However, almost half of all Tennesseans (48%) indicated they could not afford additional food either “sometimes” (29%) or “often” (19%). Tennesseans most likely to struggle with food lasting and lacking funds to buy more included Gen Z (sometimes true – 47%; often true – 30%), millennials (sometimes true – 42%; often true – 31%), those with annual incomes under $50,000 (sometimes true – 38%; often true – 31%), and those with a high school diploma or less (sometimes true – 34%; often true – 28%).

In 2024, approximately 1 in 4 Tennesseans (24%) report going hungry in the last 12 months due to lack of money for food, and respondents with children are twice as likely to report this than respondents without children (39% and 17%, respectively), according to The Tennessee Poll conducted by the Applied Social Research Laboratory (ASRL) at East Tennessee State University. This is unacceptable.

Further analysis reveals that one of the distinguishing characteristics of food insecurity among Tennesseans is whether they have children under the age of 18 in the house.  Tennesseans with children report more often that the food they purchased did not last in the last 12 months. When asked specifically about food lasting, 31% of those with children reported that it was often true that the food they bought did not last long enough, compared to 13% of those without children. Only 35% of those with children reported “never true” to this statement compared to a majority of those without children (61%).

Tennessee Obesity and Healthy Behaviors:

• Make Food Not Waste (MFNW), is a community of people who know that food is better eaten than wasted. It’s better for your budget, better for our community, and better for our planet. During the Tennessee MFNW, we will hold the Holiday Season Food Program. The program will consist of a large-scale Thanksgiving distribution and meal distribution throughout December to support the community. The distribution boxes include food and educational content related to nutrition, home cooking, and maximizing food at home. The allocation of $5 million from the TANF funds.

• Healthy Kids’ Health Connections (HKHC) will strive to improve quality, access, and health outcomes for children and families throughout the poorest rural counties and urban communities. HKHC will start as a Children’s Healthcare Access as part of the Tennessee Comprehensive Child Poverty Plan. The CHAP will address a community need for improved access to quality healthcare for children on Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, and families exposed to severe poverty and economic neglect. By working collaboratively in the community, TKHC will address barriers preventing children and families in Tennessee from attaining positive health outcomes. TKHC’s Food Secure Access project will include reaching out to over 40,000 rural families within TKHC’s database to assess need and desire for food boxes, as well as a prepared Thanksgiving meal, thus catering to those often neglected due to lack of transportation and no food bank in isolated areas.

TENN FIRE (Food Insecurities Rescue Emergency) Incentives:

• Atwater focus will be on securing grocery stores in underserved communities, with the inference being on community ownership or co-op. Communities used to own their grocery stores. Tax incentives should be given to stakeholders and not large corporations coming in and not given back to the communities, such as Family Dollar Stores, which is closing at an alarming rate, leaving communities with limited food sources.

• Community Tax Incentives offered for grocery stores built within low-income, low-access areas will help bring food solutions into the communities that need them the most. This strategy will also bring the power of communities controlling their own destiny and sustainability. Giving the power back to the people.

• Implement farmers' markets in desolate rural and underserved urban communities.

• Address corner stores, preferably co-ops with unlimited healthy vegetables and expired canned goods.

• Perform a Statewide Impact Study on limited transportation to food accessibility areas. Increase funding for public transit that allows residents to more easily access food options that are not within walking distance.

• Senior Specialty Bicycle Program - Community-owned stores that can deliver food orders to the elderly using trike bicycles with baskets. Seniors would feel safe with community members.

RURAL FOOD INSECURITIES:

Food insecurity is defined as: “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food”. Limited access to food has been found to increase the likelihood of chronic and mental health conditions and impact school performance in children.

A comprehensive rural food insecurity plan requires a multi-faceted approach combining federal, state, and community-level actions to address limited access, high poverty, and infrastructure challenges. Key strategies include expanding TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program), strengthening USDA Local Foods, Local Places programs, increasing SNAP/WIC enrollment, and fostering local food systems like food cooperatives and mobile pantries.

Key Components of a Comprehensive Plan:

• Strengthened Food Access & Distribution: Implementing mobile food pantries to overcome transportation barriers, establishing regional food hubs, and supporting local farmers' markets and food cooperatives.

• Infrastructure & Economic Development: Utilizing CDBG-CV grants to fund food infrastructure, improving access to cold storage, and supporting initiatives like Local Foods, Local Places to boost local economies.

• Policy & Legislative Support: Supporting initiatives like the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, which focuses on strengthening the farm bill, expanding SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) access, and providing disaster assistance for farmers.

• Community-Led Solutions: Engaging local residents in designing food security projects to ensure they are culturally appropriate and address specific community needs.

• Nutrition Education & Services: Providing outreach for WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) and supporting school meal programs to ensure access for children. 

Common Challenges Addressed:

• "Food Deserts" to "Food Swamps": Addressing the decline of traditional grocery stores and the rise of dollar stores, which often offer limited, processed foods.

• Transportation Barriers: Rural residents often face long distances to reach supermarkets.

• Higher Rates of Poverty & Chronic Disease: Proactive, holistic approaches that address both health and economic factors. 

Potential Funding Sources & Resources:

• USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA):

• Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP).

• CDBG-CV Grants (Community Development Block Grant).

• Federal Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). 

TENN-FIRE Comprehensive Plan will require partnerships between local, state, and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community members to be successful.

Rural Tennessee faces significant food insecurity, with rates often exceeding state averages, particularly in regions like the Northeast where rates range from 16.6% to 24.2% in counties. Roughly 1 in 6 Tennesseans overall face hunger, a number driven by high food costs, limited access to supermarkets, and economic hardship in rural areas.

Facts of Rural Food Insecurity in Tennessee:

High Rates: Food insecurity is heavily concentrated in rural areas, with some rural counties experiencing much higher rates of child hunger, such as up to 28.9% in Hancock County.

Food Deserts: Many rural communities lack access to affordable, nutritious food, relying on convenience stores rather than supermarkets.

Impact on Families: Over 40% of Tennessee families report being food insecure, with many skipping meals due to rising costs.

Nutritional Deficits: Insecure households often consume less than 2 cups of vegetables and less than 1 cup of fruit daily, while consuming high amounts of added sugars.

Assistance Dependence: Rural residents rely heavily on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and charitable pantries, which have seen increased demand.

Contributing Factors:

Economic Factors: Low income and inflation have made it difficult for families to afford adequate food.

Geographic Isolation: Lack of transportation to reach supermarkets (food deserts) is a major issue.

Environmental Factors: Future food security is threatened by climate change affecting crop yields and prices.

URBAN FOOD INSECURITIES:

(a) Address food deserts across the State of Tennessee in urban communities.

(b) Allocate funds to rebuild grocery stores in poverty-stricken communities.

(c) Use CDBGs to alleviate hunger in these underserved communities.

(d) Implement healthy food sources in urban communities.