Our Mission
We strive to build a community where everyone can thrive by nourishing, educating, and equipping our neighbors.
At The Branch, we know that people flourish in community, but our society is fractured by social, financial, religious, political, and ethnic division. These differences can make finding a real community difficult. We are working together to form the bonds of friendship, so that everyone at The Branch has a voice, acceptance, and welcome. By creating such a community, we strive to give people what they need to thrive spiritually, emotionally, and materially.
Our Story
The flood of May, 2010 was a historic event in Nashville. In Antioch, 25" of rain caused creeks and rivers to overflow, inundating homes, schools, churches, and businesses.
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Neighbors rallied to the aid of those who were in danger and those who lost their homes. In Southeast Nashville, churches and organizations came together in a great symphony of oneness and formed Southeast Nashville Recovery. In the summer of 2012, after completing work on 312 homes, the work of Southeast Nashville Recovery was finished.
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Though the crisis was over and many people's lives returned to normal, there were still unmet needs in the community. With input from Second Harvest Food Bank and members of the community, the group decided that a good food bank would greatly benefit the area, because, for some, the hunger didn't fade as the flood water receded. In April 2013, The Branch opened its doors to meet this need.
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By getting to know the guests who came to pick up food, we discovered that many of our guests needed help learning to speak English. Not knowing English was isolating, restricted their earning potential, and kept them in poverty. In 2014, the English Language Learning (ELL) program was started.
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Today, over 1,200 families receive food from The Branch Pantry each month, and 250 students are enrolled in English classes. Volunteers from local businesses, schools, and churches join with the staff to grow The Branch community, and we enjoy a special partnership with Antioch United Methodist Church which has helped us serve the community by allowing us to operate from the CLC.
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Join The Branch team as we work together to make Antioch a community where everyone can flourish. Make a donation, become a volunteer, or contact info@thebranchofnashville.org to discover how you can get involved.