Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, along with Simon Youth Foundation, will host their first ever Wrap for a Cause event this holiday season. Second Harvest volunteers will be at Opry Mills’ Entertainment Stage near Entry 5 on Saturday, Dec. 15 from 11 am to 6 pm hosting a gift-wrap station for shoppers.

Shoppers can bring their gifts to be wrapped by volunteers for a donation to the food bank. A portion of the proceeds will also benefit Simon Youth Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) public charity igniting hope through educational opportunities for students who are at risk of dropping out of high school.

There will be celebrity guests at the event throughout the day.

“One in six Americans and one in four children are food insecure, and hunger doesn’t take a break over the holidays,” said Jaynee Day, president/CEO of Second Harvest. “The Wrap for a Cause event is a fun way that we can collect donations for the food bank, while raising awareness about hunger in middle Tennessee.”

The Wrap for a Cause event will collect donations for each present wrapped that will directly benefit the hungry. For every dollar donated, four meals can be provided to those struggling with hunger. The event will also mark the final day for the ‘Double your Impact’ campaign, where Nissan will match donations, up to $100,000, enabling the organization to provide eight meals for each dollar donated.

Funds raised during the event will aid the food bank in its efforts to raise 10 million meals this holiday season through its Feeding Hope Challenge campaign. To date, the campaign has raised nearly two million meals. The Feeding Hope Challenge provides funding for Second Harvest’s feeding programs and food resources for emergency food assistance programs in 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee.

“In addition to great shopping and dining, we are also home to the Simon Youth Academy at Opry Mills, and are thrilled to further support at-risk students, as well as hungry families in the Nashville area,” said Tarasina Schneller, director of marketing and business development at Opry Mills. “This initiative is a great way for shoppers to get involved as Opry Mills continues to engage the local community and vital charitable organizations.”

The Simon Youth Academy at Opry Mills is one of three Metro Schools supported by SYF. The new, state-of-the-art facility features an open concept with identifiable learning centers that can be easily adapted to accommodate different instructional practices, projects and learning opportunities. The innovative space promotes collaborative and learning opportunities for the students. For more information on supporting the Feeding Hope Challenge, visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org.