Last year, while earning her master’s in community health and nutrition at Tennessee Tech University, Krissie Miranda developed the Weekend Nourishment Project to address a serious struggle for Cookeville’s unhoused population. Her research showed that while many had access to food during the week, those resources were closed or had limited hours on weekends.

Partnering with First United Methodist Church in Cookeville, she proposed a plan to help fill that gap. Now a Tech alumna, Miranda has continued turning that idea into reality—refusing to let it remain just a school project. That vision has taken shape in the form of lockers on the church’s property, which offer access to meals when most other resources are closed. During their first official weekend, 11 out of 18 lockers were used.

“Seeing the idea from last year come to life has been incredibly rewarding,” said Miranda. “It started as a vision—just a hope that we could find a new, accessible way to serve those in need.”

Her earlier research revealed that Tennessee ranks 35th among all U.S. states for food insecurity, with over 11.5% of households in Putnam County struggling to access adequate nutrition.

The lockers allow 24/7 access through use of a four-digit code chosen by the individual when they visit the church to request and be assigned to a locker. Each bag placed in the lockers includes water, protein, fruit, snacks and shelf-stable items for both Saturday and Sunday. The food is provided with help from multiple partners, including Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, local churches and food rescue efforts from Walmart and Dollar General.

“This allows us to offer a wider variety of food, including pantry staples, snacks and ready-to-eat items, making the lockers more useful and reliable for those who depend on them,” Miranda said.

The project is currently in its trial phase as it monitors to confirm that the service is seeing consistent and active use of the lockers on the weekends. Everyone involved wants to ensure that the project is meeting a real need and is becoming a trusted resource for the people who need the support.

“Beyond just usage, success would also include receiving feedback from participants that the process feels respectful, helpful and easy to navigate,” Miranda said. “That kind of response would affirm that we’re on the right track and give us a strong foundation for expanding or improving the program going forward.”

Donations to the program are welcome. Most needed items include granola bars, applesauce cups/ pouches, pop-top canned goods such as ravioli, tuna, or Vienna sausages, peanut butter crackers and especially cases of bottled water. Donations can be dropped off at the church’s Freeman Building, on the southwest corner of Broad St. and Dixie Ave., Mondays-Fridays between 9 a.m.-4 p.m., except when they are closed for lunch between noon-1 p.m.

Now serving as the assistant director for servant ministries at First United Methodist Church, Miranda is also preparing to sit for her dietitian examination in July and hopes to work in dialysis care in the future. For now, she’s focused on making sure the Weekend Nourishment Project continues to meet a growing need.

“When I saw that most of the lockers had been accessed during our very first official weekend, I felt a wave of emotion: gratitude, excitement and a deep sense of purpose,” she said. “It confirmed that the need is real and that this project is reaching people exactly how we hoped it would.”