November Meeting Recap: Conversations on East Knox Food Access at the Shora Foundation

The East Knoxville Business & Professional Association gathered on November 20th at the Shora Foundation for a powerful and informative meeting centered on food access, community health, and collaborative efforts across East Knoxville. The morning blended updates from local leaders, personal stories from farmers and growers, and a deeper look into the realities neighbors face when trying to access healthy food.

Welcome from Shora Foundation

Shora staff opened the meeting with an overview of their work, reminding attendees that Shora is more than a youth space. Their programs support:

academic success through tutoring and school partnerships,
mental health via the Healing Pathways initiative,
food security through partnerships with organizations like Second Harvest and the American Heart Association, and
social justice and advocacy for youth and families.

They also encouraged attendees to support Shora on Giving Tuesday.

Breakfast Sponsor

United Way of Greater Knoxville provided breakfast for attendees and helped frame the larger conversation around food systems and food access in East Knoxville.

Featured Conversation: Understanding East Knoxville’s Food System

Kimberly Pettigrew – United Way of Greater Knoxville

Kimberly opened the discussion by grounding the room in the lived reality of East Knoxville residents. She shared that United Way’s food systems work is rooted in community surveys, listening sessions, and interviews that revealed a key insight: many East Knoxville neighbors do not remember a time when their community had consistent access to healthy food options.

She emphasized how issues such as rent burdens, transportation barriers, and lack of nearby grocery stores shape daily life. Kimberly also highlighted how many families must travel long distances by bus to shop for groceries and how this affects what they can safely buy, store, and prepare.

Throughout her remarks, she stressed that food access is intertwined with dignity, culture, and the ability to make choices—not just the availability of calories.

Community Leaders and Growers Share Their Work

Femeika Elliott – Rooted East / Knox County Community Garden & Growers Alliance / Lotus Program

Femeika shared updates from community gardens across East Knoxville, including the Pastor Richard S. Brown Garden, where thousands of pounds of produce have been harvested and distributed this year. She spoke passionately about the need for community-led agriculture, the growing interest from youth, and the success of their home garden programs.

She also spoke about creating safer, more equitable garden spaces, adding garden beds, and building new growing sites in Beaumont and on Louise Avenue.

Her message reinforced that East Knox residents want to grow food—and are doing so with creativity, pride, and community support.

Ariel Allen – United Way of Greater Knoxville

Ariel explained the “behind the scenes” side of the food system—what happens between growing food and getting it onto someone’s table. She noted that many residents are interested in starting food-based businesses but need technical support or financial help to get started.

She also highlighted ongoing work to strengthen food processing and small food entrepreneurship so more of East Knoxville’s food economy can be rooted locally.

Pastor Chris Battle – Battlefield Farm & Gardens

Chris brought heart and urgency to the conversation. He shared how he first became engaged in food justice work while pastoring in the East Knoxville community and realizing how far neighbors had to travel for fresh produce.

He described the painful realities of food insecurity that he has personally witnessed, including community members suffering severe health consequences from lack of access to healthy food. One story involved a man who had not eaten fresh produce in years; another spoke of repeated amputations due to diet-related illness.

Chris emphasized that the issue is not theoretical: it is lived, daily, and deeply tied to the wellbeing of East Knoxville families.

Pastor Adam Woldt – Point Knox Church / Battlefield Farm & Gardens

Pastor Woldt shared updates on their next major step: the creation of The One-Five Mobile Market designed to bring affordable, fresh groceries directly to East Knoxville neighborhoods. He and Chris are also in early stages of working toward a brick-and-mortar grocery store.

Adam noted that lack of transportation is one of the biggest barriers neighbors face. Their mobile market will help eliminate distance as a barrier and provide consistent access to fresh foods at fair prices.

A Shared Vision

Throughout the meeting, a common theme emerged: East Knoxville’s food system will improve only through collaboration. United Way, grassroots growers, local churches, educators, youth programs, and community partners are all playing vital roles in building a more just and connected food ecosystem.

This is community work. It is history-rooted work. And it is work that continues.