Tennessee Serves Distributes More Than 300 Meal Boxes to Shelby County Foster Families

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and First Lady Maria Lee distributed meal boxes to foster families in Memphis to thank them for serving children in Tennessee.

More than 300 families attended the drive-through distribution event, which was sponsored by the First Lady’s Tennessee Serves initiative in partnership with Mid-South Food Bank. Families received staple food boxes including frozen chicken, 20 pounds of fresh produce and 26 pounds of shelf stable items. Tennessee Serves partnered with the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) to invite nearly 700 foster families in Shelby County to participate in the event.

“Answering the call to become a foster parent is one of the most selfless acts of service and requires a tremendous amount of commitment,” said First Lady Maria Lee. “A gesture of any kind could never amount to the generosity foster parents exhibit in loving and serving the children in their care, but it’s our hope that these meal boxes will be a blessing to them and let them know they are seen and appreciated.”  

The Governor and First Lady were joined at the distribution by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, DCS Commissioner Margie Quin, representatives from TN Fosters Hope and local pastors.

Since 2021, Tennessee Serves has hosted meal distributions for foster families in each grand division to express appreciation for Tennesseans opening their homes to the state’s foster children. The two previous events were held in Johnson City and Nashville and were determined based on the areas’ large compositions of foster families.

In Tennessee, there are currently more than 8,000 children in foster care. To learn how to become a foster parent or support children in foster care, visit the DCS website.

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