2026 John Egerton Prize Winner: Sunshine and Daisy Mobile Food Pantry
Sunshine and Daisy Mobile Food Pantry is the 2026 John Egerton Prize winner.
The pantry was officially founded in September of 2020. The organizers, Andrea Dennett and Gretchen Gintz, met each other after operating under the umbrella of two other not-for-profit organizations in 2016. They joined forces, got a bus, and now deliver fresh food every Saturday to at least 100 families in the Memphis area, individuals who live on the street or in alternative prefab or handmade shelters, and to a men’s recovery program. Their name, Sunshine and Daisy, was a nickname given to them by a friend who lived on the streets.
The organization currently receives weekly food donations from a large American chain of supermarkets that specializes in natural and organic foods and from Recover Food, Feed Hope of Holy Communion Episcopal Church.
The John Egerton Prize, endowed by SFA member contributions, awards $5,000 each year to those people or organizations in the American South who exhibit exceptional creativity, apply the rubric of food and drink to their work, and show the potential to make a genuine difference in one or more fields.
To share the story of the Egerton Prize winner, SFA also produces a film. The 2026 film, directed by Kam Darko Visuals, premiered at the October Southern Foodways Symposium in Memphis, Tennessee.
Volunteer Lulu Wn accepted the 2026 John Egerton Prize on behalf of the Sunshine and Daisy Mobile Food Pantry.
Photo: Mary Beth Lasseter (left) presents the 2026 John Egerton Prize to volunteer Lulu Wn. Photo credit: Andrew Albright.
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2026 Egerton Prize
Sunshine and Daisy Mobile Food Pantry is the 2026 Egerton Prize winner. Read More
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