Metro Social Services is hosting its first annual food box pop-up event.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — With rising grocery bills, many Nashville residents are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. Metro Social Services saw hundreds of cars lined up outside its Hermitage office on Saturday to celebrate its first pop-up food box distribution.

“People are struggling to put food on the table,” said Metro Social Services Executive Director Renee Pratt. “We are strengthening ourselves in the community to let them know: come to us for help; come to us for services.”

Pratt says the department has seen an increase in requests for support, with the greatest need for food. To meet this demand, a Food Pop-Up event was organized, providing more than 400 food parcels to families in need.

People expressed their gratitude, with many noting the impact on their monthly budgets.

Brandon Farley, who was in line for the food distribution, said: “This helps people who can’t afford it and are struggling right now. We are one of those people.”

For others, this help is an important addition. “I live on a fixed income and do what I have to do. When I saw this, I felt happy enough to get in line,” Jackie Baskerville said.

The department says some areas of Nashville are classified as food deserts, which coupled with inflation is increasing the burden on families trying to put food on the table.

Sheila Trammell noted, “For people who don’t get food stamps or extra assistance, this helps them with their budget for a few months.”

MSS plans to host more food events in the future to continue to meet the growing needs of the community.

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A trip to see some of our neighbors’ best Halloween decorations.

There are only a few days left until Halloween. Americans are expected to spend about $12 billion on candy, costumes and jewelry this year. Over the past few years, it seems like more and more people are going out of their way to decorate their homes. Forrest Sanders had the opportunity to visit several communities in the middle of the state to see some of these Halloween decorations.

-Lelan Statom