KINGSPORT – The Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency will begin its commodity distribution in Bristol on Dec. 13 and in Kingsport on Dec. 15.
The Bristol event will take place at Realife Church (1317 Weaver Pike) while the Kingsport event will take place at Gravely Baptist Church (647 Gravely Road). Both events will begin at 9:30 a.m. on their respective days and will end at noon or earlier if food is no longer available.
The items will be distributed through a drive-thru option on a first come, first served basis, to income eligible households until all commodities are gone. This is being done for the safety of recipients as well as the volunteers and staff.
The commodities being distributed are 40 to 50 pound food boxes that contain a variety of non-perishable food items such as canned and dry goods, meat, vegetables and fruit, said Drew Deakins, marketing and development director for UETHDA.
During a typical distribution event in Sullivan County, Deakins said between 350 to 400 people receive the food boxes.
Recipients must be residents of Tennessee, but commodity cards will no longer be needed. Deakins said UETHDA strongly encourages folks to complete an application the week prior to the date of distribution, as this will reduce your wait time during the event.
However, staff will be available on site during the distribution if you wish to complete an application the day of the event. If someone is picking up your commodities they must be authorized on your application and limits to pickup are ten orders.
Headquartered in Kingsport at the VO Dobbins Complex, UETHDA has been providing the tools, education, and support for a better life for over 50 years. The agency is one of thousands of Community Action Agencies in the United States operated by the National Community Action Partnership.
UETHDA serves eight counties in Northeast Tennessee, including Carter, Greene, Hawkins, Hancock, Johnson, Sullivan, Washington and Unicoi.
To learn more visit www.uethda.org.
