The Well Outreach

What The Well Outreach does

The Well Outreach is a Christian 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 and headquartered in Spring Hill, Tennessee, that addresses food insecurity across Middle Tennessee through four integrated programs: two client-choice food pantries (Spring Hill and Mount Pleasant), the Student Jetpacks weekend meal program serving more than 1,400 students weekly across 30+ schools, Mobile Food Pantries distributing approximately 25,000 pounds of food per event at local high schools, and Family Coaching delivered through the multi-organization Our Chance Program. The organization serves over 2,000 families monthly at its two pantry locations combined, hosts 15 mobile food pantry events annually, and engages more than 10,000 people each year through three signature fundraisers — Night of Hope gala, Run For Hunger 5K, and Whole Hog Festival. Operations are supported by approximately 20 full-time staff and more than 400 weekly volunteers across Williamson and Maury Counties, and run on a non-proprietary technology stack built around the VOMO volunteer coordination platform and standard nonprofit/fundraising tooling; there are no disclosed AI/ML systems or proprietary software products.

The organization's underlying operating model is community-led and faith-based, anchored by a 10:1 cost-leverage partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank that allows each donated dollar to convert into approximately nine dollars of supplied food. Funding is diversified across individual monthly giving (Good Neighbor Program at $30/month providing roughly $300 of groceries per family), event-based fundraising with tiered sponsorships, corporate sponsorships for food and programs, and in-kind food donations collected through community drop sites including church partners. There is no pricing model in the commercial sense; 'tiers' represent donation levels (e.g., $30 feeds a family for a week, $90 feeds three families, gala VIP tables sold out, sponsorship tiers from $300 to $2,500+). The Hope House retail and volunteer hub on Main Street serves as a public-facing front door and adjacent revenue/community channel.

Under CEO Shelly Sassen, who joined as the first full-time employee in 2019, the organization has grown its families-served count roughly ten-fold in five years, expanded into a second county via the 2024 Mount Pleasant pantry, and added program verticals including family coaching and in-school Snack Stash. Governance is provided by a community Board of Directors; the organization has no parent company, no equity funding, and is not publicly traded.

Name

The Well Outreach

Legal name

The Well Outreach

Website

https://thewelloutreach.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Well Outreach is a Christian 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Middle Tennessee that addresses food insecurity through two client-choice pantries, mobile food distribution, a weekend student meal program across 30+ schools, and family coaching, operated by 20 staff and 400+ weekly volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Assistance and Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD), School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Food assistance services
• Hunger relief programs
• Community food pantry
• Student meal programs
• Family coaching services

Headquarters

HQ city

Spring Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring monetary donations from individuals supporting food insecurity programs. Good Neighbor monthly giving program allows donors to provide ongoing support with $30/month providing approximately $300 worth of groceries to families.
2. Event Fundraising: Annual fundraising events including Night of Hope gala (February), Run For Hunger 5K (July 4th), and Whole Hog Festival (October). Hope for the Hungry radiothon raised over $70,000.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorships at various levels for food pantries, events, and programs including food sponsorship ($5000/week for food costs), event sponsorships, and t-shirt sponsorships.
4. In-Kind Food Donations: Direct food donations from community members, food drives, and organizations. Accepts non-perishable food items at pantry locations and drop boxes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Well Outreach is a Christian nonprofit food ministry providing free food assistance to families experiencing food insecurity in Middle Tennessee through four core programs: client-choice food pantries in Spring Hill and Mount Pleasant, Mobile Food Pantries at local high schools, Student Jetpacks weekend meal backpacks at 30+ schools, and Family Coaching services through the Our Chance Program. All services are provided free of charge to qualifying families and supported through donations, sponsorships, and volunteer engagement.

Product overview

The Well Outreach is a Christian ministry providing food assistance to families experiencing food insecurity in Middle Tennessee through four core programs: two client-choice food pantries (Spring Hill and Mount Pleasant), the Student Jetpacks weekend meal program for over 30 schools, Mobile Food Pantries at local high schools, and Family Coaching through the Our Chance Program. The organization also operates Hope House as a volunteer hub and gift shop, and hosts annual fundraising events including Night of Hope Gala, Run For Hunger, and Whole Hog Festival. The organization serves over 1,400 families monthly at its two pantry locations and has grown from a single church food pantry in 2006 to a regional food organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Our Chance TN: A family coaching program that helps families improve their living circumstances and move out of the cycle of poverty by navigating the benefits cliff.
• JetPack Program
• Good Neighbor Program
• Hope House
• Snack Stash Program

Products and services

• Food Pantries Client-choice food pantries operating in Spring Hill and Mount Pleasant, Tennessee. Guests are welcomed with dignity and invited into conversation and prayer before shopping for food with their own personal shopper.
• Student Jetpacks Weekend meal bag program providing nutritious, non-perishable food to hungry children from food-deficient households during the school year. Serves more than 1,400 students from over 30 local schools with backpacks distributed every Friday.
• Mobile Food Pantries Saturday morning food distribution events at local area high schools, bringing 25,000 pounds of food to communities. More than a dozen events are hosted annually from March through December.
• Family Coaching (Our Chance Program) A program partnering with 31 organizations across Middle Tennessee to help families improve their living circumstances and move out of the cycle of poverty by navigating the benefits cliff with support from Family Coaches.
• Hope House A mission-driven gathering place and gift shop located in front of the Spring Hill food pantry. Serves as the public-facing front door of Well Outreach with Christian merchandise, a volunteer hub, and space for small gatherings.
• Night of Hope Gala Annual February gala featuring dinner, live auction, and concert. A major fundraising event that engages over 500 attendees.
• Run For Hunger Annual July 4th event featuring a timed 5K race, color foam run, and bicycle/stroller parade. Raises funds for the organization with hundreds of participants.
• Whole Hog Festival Annual October event described as the largest one-day event in Spring Hill. Features live music, craft fair, food vendors, and kids activities. Hosted at Oaklawn Mansion.
• Good Neighbor Monthly Giving Program Monthly giving program where donors provide ongoing support. For every one dollar of food purchased, nine dollars of supplied food is raised. A $30 monthly gift provides a family with $300 worth of groceries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serve over 2,000 families monthly at two pantry locations
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Second Harvest Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides 25,000 pounds of food for each mobile food pantry event. Partnership enables efficient food purchasing with 10:1 leverage (for each dollar spent, raises $9 worth of food). Critical partner for mobile distribution operations.
• Tennessee Opportunity Pilot Initiative (Our Chance Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 31 organizations across Tennessee helping families improve living circumstances and navigate the benefits cliff. Well Outreach serves as Family Center providing coaching and support services.
• The Bridge ChurchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChurch partner serving as food drive drop-off site for community food donations. Located at 3005 Parkfield Loop S, Spring Hill, receiving donations 2pm-6pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
• 30+ Local Schools (Williamson and Maury Counties)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchools including Spring Hill High, Summit High, Mt. Pleasant High, Columbia Central, and others hosting Jetpack program distribution and Snack Stash bins. Partner with school counselors for student enrollment.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nashville Food Project: Middle Tennessee nonprofit combining food recovery, community meals, and food pantry models to address food insecurity. Closely comparable in mission, geography, and multi-channel food distribution approach.
• Love Your Neighbor (Tennessee): Tennessee-based nonprofit addressing food insecurity and poverty through community-based assistance. Comparable in faith-rooted identity, regional Tennessee focus, and multi-program approach to family stabilization.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee: Regional food bank distributor that supplies The Well Outreach's mobile pantries (25,000 lbs per event) and operates the broader hunger-relief network across 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee. Directly comparable as a hunger-relief nonprofit serving overlapping Tennessee geographies.
• Our Daily Bread (Multiple): Faith-based community food assistance nonprofits operating in multiple U.S. cities, providing food pantries and meal programs to food-insecure families. Closely comparable operating model to The Well Outreach, including faith-rooted identity and volunteer-driven pantry operations.
• Backpack Buddies: Nonprofit providing weekend meal bags to food-insecure schoolchildren. Directly comparable to The Well Outreach's Student Jetpacks program (1,400+ students weekly), differing in geographic focus (Pacific Northwest).
• Mid-South Food Bank: Regional food bank serving Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas through pantries, mobile distributions, and child nutrition programs—directly comparable in food assistance model including student backpack feeding programs.

Broad incumbents

• Meals on Wheels of America: National nonprofit addressing food insecurity among seniors and homebound individuals. Comparable as a hunger-relief nonprofit with strong volunteer model, though its core service is home-delivered meals rather than pantry distribution.
• WhyHunger: National hunger-relief nonprofit supporting grassroots food justice organizations and advocating for systemic change. Comparable in mission to address food insecurity but operates more as a grantmaker and advocacy body than direct service provider.
• Feeding America: National umbrella network of 200+ food banks including Second Harvest Mid-TN (which supplies The Well Outreach). Comparable at the mission level but operates at vastly greater scale as a federation rather than a single pantry operator.

Regional players

• Chattanooga Area Food Bank: Regional food bank serving a different Tennessee geography with comparable pantry distribution, mobile pantries, and child hunger programs (Kids Cafe, BackPack). Similar operating model but non-overlapping service area.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thewelloutreach
• Instagraminstagram.com/springhillwell
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-well-outreach

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Well Outreach