Braswell Family Farms and Food City have teamed up on a new initiative to support Coalition For Kids Inc., a Johnson City, Tennessee-based organization that provides children across the region with a nurturing, faith-based environment.
Through the partnership, Braswell Family Farms donates 10 cents for every dozen Natural Choice Cage-Free White Large eggs sold at participating Food City locations. The initiative, launched in December, runs through March 2027 and aims to raise more than $200,000 for C4K.
To celebrate the partnership and introduce the community to Coalition For Kids and its mission, Braswell Family Farms and Food City hosted a special event April 30 in Johnson City. The event brought together local chefs, C4K children and leadership from all three organizations.
The day began at the Food City location on North State of Franklin Road, where representatives gathered for the presentation of a $5,000 check — the first of many — and shared remarks on the partnership’s impact.
Chefs grocery games
Three chefs with a combined 86 years of culinary experience — Nate Campbell, Food City culinary trainer; Tony Mammarella, Food City corporate executive chef; and Jill Ledes, C4K head chef — took off through the Food City aisles in the Chefs Grocery Games. The timed shopping sprint had each chef gathering ingredients for original dishes featuring eggs as the star.
Carts rattled, sneakers squeaked and the energy was contagious as the chefs raced to fill their baskets before the clock ran out.
The action moved to Coalition For Kids headquarters on Susannah Street, where the chefs traded shopping carts for skillets and spatulas.
- Campbell prepared a Breakfast Monte Cristo featuring brioche bread, eggs, maple honey ham, mild cheddar and baby swiss with maple syrup, cinnamon and powdered sugar.
- Mammarella created a Southwestern Omelette Canoe — a French baguette loaded with bacon, sausage, peppers, onions, mixed cheeses and eggs, finished with pepper gravy.
- Ledes contributed Bacon Egg and Cheese Tarts featuring bacon, egg, cottage cheese, cream cheese, shredded cheese and puff pastry with a mixed berry compote for dipping.
While the chefs cooked, children in the C4K program got an interactive lesson from Braswell Family Farms’ Trey Braswell about the nutritional power of eggs.
The lesson included how the natural protein supports growth, focus and learning. The kids discovered just how much an egg can fuel them for all the opportunities and achievements Coalition For Kids helps make possible.
Campbell’s Breakfast Monte Cristo took the crown and will be featured on the C4K breakfast menu and on the Braswell Family Farms website’s recipe page.
Voices behind the partnership
Trey Braswell, Braswell Family Farms CEO, said the day reaffirmed the company’s mission.
“Seeing these kids light up today reminded us exactly why we do what we do,” Braswell said. “Our family has always believed that feeding the body and the soul go hand in hand. When a customer picks up a dozen eggs at Food City, they are both feeding their family and helping feed and support a dozen kids through C4K. That is the kind of impact we are proud to be a part of.”
Kevin Stafford, VP of center store for K-VA-T Food Stores, said the partnership reflects Food City’s broader community focus.
“At Food City, strengthening the communities we serve is who we are,” Stafford said. “Through our partnership with Braswell Family Farms, everyday purchases are helping invest directly in the lives and futures of local children, and that’s an impact we’re proud to stand behind.”
Randy Hensley, Coalition For Kids executive director, said the day captured what the organization is all about.
“Today was a perfect reflection of what Coalition For Kids is all about: providing children with love, support, and experiences that help them grow,” Hensley said. “The generosity of Braswell Family Farms and Food City means we can continue to invest in programs that build character, confidence, and community for the children we serve.”
The Braswell Family Farms and Food City partnership will continue raising funds for Coalition For Kids through March.
Consumers can support the effort simply by purchasing Natural Choice Cage-Free White Large eggs at participating Food City locations throughout the region.
About the companies
Braswell Family Farms is the second largest Eggland’s Best franchisee in the U.S. and a producer of value-added private-label egg products for quality-minded retailers.
Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores, Food City’s parent company, operates 163 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia and Alabama.
For more than 20 years, Coalition For Kids has been committed to providing children across the region with a nurturing and faith-based environment to help them develop into successful adults who positively impact their communities. The organization began as a grassroots effort in one of the lowest-income and highest-crime areas in Johnson City and has since grown to multiple locations serving hundreds of children daily.
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