Over 25 years ago, an elderly man living remotely had a house fire. Members of the Hines Creek Baptist Church banded together to gather food and to help rebuild his house.
That’s when the congregation began to realize that there was a need in the Union County community for food assistance—and the Hines Creek Food Pantry began.
Last year was a very challenging year for quite a few of us with the high cost of food, utilities and fuel bills placing hardship on many families. This year is starting out with the same issues. The Hinds Creek Food Pantry has a goal to try to end hunger in our community.
In 2022, this food pantry distributed 128,367 pounds of food, serving 3,754 people in 1,662 households. This included food for 1,091 senior citizens, 1,757 adults and 906 children.
They provide two categories of distribution: Any USDA food from Second Harvest must meet the USDA income guidelines, but food purchased by the church for anyone who needs it has no income guidelines. If a client does not meet the USDA income guidelines, there will still be plenty of food for them as well.
Second Harvest gets food in three main ways: Bulk food is donated; they purchase items that are needed but not donated; and they receive specific food items from USDA.
Only the food specifically from USDA must meet income requirements.
Maryville Second Harvest Agency Relations Manager, Eileen Emerson, said, “We want to make sure people know there is enough to go around, and they are not taking away from someone else who “needs it more.”
“We also want people to be utilizing pantries before they’re having to choose between medication and food or rent and food. We all need a hand up sometimes!”
Many food pantries, including Hines Creek, purchase their food through Second Harvest, getting significantly reduced prices so that their dollars go much further. Hines Creek Food Pantry also partners with Midwest Food Bank.
Midwest Food Bank provides free food for non-profit organizations such as food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and churches. They are located in Peachtree City, Georgia, south of Atlanta.
Every month, Danny Cooke and his son Daniel would drive all the way to Peachtree City to pick up the food and bring it back to Maynardville. Today there is a satellite distribution center in Morristown, making it a much shorter monthly drive.
Local churches also help out with monetary donations and volunteers. There are grants that are available to food pantries and Hines Creek has received several grants including from Union County United Way. It takes a village.
Church members gather on the Wednesday before first Tuesday distribution of each month to organize and pack up boxes for the next month’s distribution. They currently have seven freezers, one walk-in freezer and a walk-in cooler and are able to freeze and refrigerate food until it is time to distribute it. Hines Creek Food Pantry distribution days are the first Tuesday of every month from 11a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hines Creek Fellowship Hall at 1000 Hinds Creek Rd.
It is a drive-through set up and the volunteers will bring the food to your car. You do not need to get out. Clients come from Union, Claiborne, and Knox counties and the food pantry does not refuse anyone. But if there is someone with an emergency need for food, please call Deerenda Cooke at 865-805-3372 and she will arrange to get them help.
For many people, there is a stigma attached to accepting food. Perhaps they are embarrassed. They may not want friends, family or neighbors to know that they could use a hand up. Some folks have always managed to get by until now, and many of these people have not taken advantage of the food banks.
But whether or not you fall into the USDA Guidelines for USDA foods, the food pantries in Union County have food for you.
How can you help Hines Creek Missionary Baptist Food Pantry reach their goal to end hunger in our community? They accept donations of non-perishable foods: canned foods, pasta, cereals, anything packaged.
They also appreciate any monetary donations, and checks may be sent to PO Box 1305 Maynardville, TN 37807. Donations are tax deductible.