KINGSPORT — Every Wednesday morning, a delivery truck pulls up to a church in Kingsport, where volunteers unload boxes of ingredients and transform them into meals for homebound residents.
Volunteers with Meals on Wheels of Kingsport prepare lunches for local residents.
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Each weekday, Meals on Wheels of Kingsport delivers hot lunches to about 217 residents in Kingsport. The program operates on a modest budget, with only one part-time employee and more than 530 volunteers handling everything from cooking to delivery, according to Ann Elpers, president of Meals on Wheels of Kingsport.
“Our meals are prepared out of First Presbyterian Church and Waverly Road Presbyterian Church,†Elpers said. “We are very blessed that those churches allow us to use their kitchen space.
We have cook teams at each church that prepare the meals, and then we have what we call routes — 14 different delivery routes where a volunteer driver will come in and pick up anywhere from 12 to 18 meals.â€
Although the nonprofit runs primarily on volunteers and donations, it does receive some federal funding from grants like the Community Development Block Grant. But following the Trump administration’s recent decision in cutting federal funding, Meals on Wheels of Kingsport is still waiting to hear whether it will receive its usual share of grant money.
“We haven’t received a definite ‘no’ on anything, but everything is still under review,†said Elpers. “We’re applying for the same grants we do every year, but we also know we’ll need to look at other ways to support our daily meal delivery.â€
The organization operates on a grocery budget of $178,000 a year and spends about $3,200 a week on meals. United Way of Greater Kingsport currently funds just over half the nonprofit’s total budget, Elpers said.
To offset rising costs of groceries, the group has started buying food from Sam’s Club and growing its annual fundraisers. One of its largest events, the Meals on Wheels of Kingsport Cruise-In, will return for its fourth year on Aug. 9 at the Toy Reid Employee Center. The event runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will feature food trucks and live music. Last year, the car show drew around 150 participants.
Despite financial uncertainty, Elpers said reducing the number of recipients is a last resort and something she does not foresee in the future.
“Before we would ever reduce the number of recipients, we would get more assertive and aggressive in going after support from local businesses and donors,†she said.
When Eliza Brown moved back to Kingsport in 1986, a neighbor invited her to join a church cooking team for Meals on Wheels of Kingsport. What began as a neighborly welcome gesture quickly became a lifelong commitment.
“I became a driver later on, and once I met the recipients, I was hooked,†Brown said. “They uplift you. They’re so appreciative of the meal and the time you give them. Honestly, it’s the best gift I’ve ever given myself.â€
Almost four decades later, Brown is still involved, coordinating routes, writing directions and helping manage volunteers.
Brown, who also serves on the FEMA or Federal Emergency Management Agency funding board in Sullivan County, said local emergency assistance funds have also dwindled. Meals on Wheels applies for the Emergency Food and Shelter Grant through United Way that is administered by FEMA.
That grant money once totaled as much as $90,000 for the county during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, that figure was less than half, and some of it has yet to be released.
“Meals on Wheels usually gets a small grant from FEMA, maybe under $5,000,†Brown said. “It’s not a huge part of the budget, but every bit helps. Twenty dollars might feed a recipient for a week.â€
For many recipients, the meals are more than just nutrition; they’re a chance to connect and talk with other people. Brown recalled delivering to an elderly couple years ago. By the next month, the wife had passed away.
“I brought the husband his meal, and he asked me to come in,†she said. “He walked me to the piano and showed me a Polaroid of her in the casket. He said, ‘Isn’t she beautiful? I could just hold her precious little face in my hands.’ It was moving. That’s the kind of life people share with you when you deliver.â€
Volunteers typically prepare meals by mid-morning and drivers deliver along 14 routes, aiming to be on the road by 10:45 a.m.
Brown said what makes the program special is its directness.
“Every second goes to someone who needs it,†she said.
Elpers said Meals on Wheels should know the status of their grant applications within the next couple of months. Until then, it’s a waiting game — but Brown isn’t worried.
“We have tons of volunteers who always make it work,†she said. “That’s just what we do.â€
