08/11/2026
COLD. HARD. FACTS.
It is time for Anderson County to understand exactly what is happening at Anderson County Community Aid Coalitionāand what is at stake.
For more than 61 years, this agency has served the people of Anderson County.
And unless something changes, we may be forced to permanently close our doors at the end of October.
Let us be very clear about why.
Despite requests the cities of Clinton, Norris, Oak Ridge, Rocky Top and Oliver Springs provide NO financial support to ACCAC.
Despite applications and pleas the Anderson County Mayorās Office and Commissioners provide NO financial support to ACCAC. They donāt even respond to the applications or requests.
We receive NO federal funding.
We receive NO state funding.
We do not have financial support from local churches or faith organizations.
Our only funding comes primarily from individual peopleāpeople in Anderson County and surrounding countiesāalong with board members, staff and supporters who genuinely care about people struggling to survive in this economy.
And before anyone makes assumptions about who is standing in our food pantry line, you should know who many of our clients actually are.
They are veterans.
They are retired coal miners.
They are former factory and industry workers.
They are fast food workers you see each and every day when you drive through their lines for your fancy coffee.
They are senior citizens who worked their entire lives but never earned enough to build substantial retirement accounts.
They are widows who spent their lives raising families and are now trying to survive on a small Social Security check or pension.
They are people who WORKED.
They are people who are STILL working.
They contributed.
They raised families.
They paid taxes.
They are church members.
They own their homes.
Since the pandemic of 2020, our economy makes it almost impossible for those on limited income to survive. So many of them simply cannot make their monthly income stretch far enough to cover the rapidly rising cost of groceries and basic necessities.
They are not coming through our doors demanding that someone pay all of their bills.
They arenāt asking us to pay their rent.
They arenāt asking for gas cards.
They arenāt asking us to pay their utilities.
They arenāt asking us to buy their medicine.
They are asking for FOOD.
They need a food pantry that is open regularly so they can supplement what little money they have and make it through another month with dignity.
In October 2025, state and federal funding for these services was redirected to ETHRA, leaving ACCAC with ZERO state or federal funding to continue serving the very same Anderson County residents who still walk through our doors every day. The funding disappeared from ACCACāthe need did not. We were left to continue serving our community without the financial resources that once helped make those services possible.
Yet the need did not disappear.
The people did not disappear.
They STILL come to us because we find a way!
Until this past month, ACCAC was a proud member of our very own Anderson County Chamber of Commerceānot because we needed our name on a membership list, but because we wanted the people of this county to know who we are, where we are, and that we are here when they need us. We participate in the Clinton Christmas Parade through the Historic Downtown Clinton organization and the Anderson County Fair for the same reason: visibility matters. We want families to recognize the ACCAC name long before the day comes when they may need our help. We show up in this community because we are part of this community. Whether you need us today, tomorrow, or never, we want every Anderson County resident to know that when life takes an unexpected turn, ACCAC has been hereāand our goal is to remain hereāto serve you.
Have you driven past 149 N. Main Street in Clinton and seen people lined around the building?
Have you ever wondered what could possibly be so important that elderly people and struggling families would stand outside in the summer heat, winter cold, rain and snow waiting for the doors to open? Have you wondered why anyone would stand outside while the streets are being torn up around them and they had to step over large rocks, loose gravel and yellow tape just to stand on our make shift sidewalks for the past year?
Now you know.
They are waiting for food.
And since 2024, ACCAC has worked tirelessly to completely transform this agency.
If you knew this organization before 2024, and looked down upon it, we ask you to come see it now.
Look at the amount of food available.
Look at the variety.
Look at the organization.
Look at the cleanliness.
Look at the number of families coming through our doors.
Look at the dignity with which people are treated.
Look at the quantity and quality we offer. No longer is anyone sitting behind a desk screaming āone meat, one sweet and one breadā while theyāre sitting there either their hearty lunches and relishing on free benefits. We are working nonstop to make what little we have beautiful.
This did not happen by accident.
Our staff and board members made it happen because we believe the people walking through those doors matter.
Our staff members routinely spend more money in gasoline getting back and forth to work than they bring home in a week.
And while we are stretching every dollar possible to keep food available, there are expenses we simply cannot eliminate.
Our landlord The Alpha Masonic Lodge has not agreed to lower our rentāeven though the facility is operated as a community help center. We were told they could easily receive $2500 or more per month, therefore the $1500 they charge us is a discount already.
We receive NO discount on our utilities, and they are incredibly expensive for such a small space.
We receive NO discount on our internet or phone service.
We pay for our own pest-control services because when you distribute food to the public, cleanliness and food safety are not optional.
We even continue to deal with inadequate lighting because needed ballast repairs have not been made by the landlord. The windows need sealed to help control our utility payments.
And stillāwe open the doors.
We find the food.
We stock the shelves.
We serve the people.
But dedication does not pay rent.
Compassion does not pay utilities.
Insurance on our facility is not free.
Volunteers cannot make operating expenses disappear. Have you tried to operate a business on volunteers only?
And donated food does not eliminate the cost of operating the building required to distribute it.
So here is where we are:
ACCAC NEEDS AT LEAST $7,500 PER MONTH IN COMMITTED FINANCIAL PLEDGES TO REMAIN OPEN.
Not promises that someone might help someday.
Committed monthly support.
Without it, we are facing the very real possibility of permanently closing our doors at the end of October.
ACCAC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and eligible charitable contributions may be tax-deductible.
So we are asking some uncomfortable questions.
Where are our businesses?
Where are our corporations?
Where are our civic organizations?
Where are our churches?
Where are the community leaders who say they care about Anderson Countyās seniors, veterans and struggling families?
Where are charitable dollars being sent while people are standing in line for food right here in our own community?
And here is how achievable $7,500 per month really is:
15 businesses committing $500 per month = $7,500.
30 businesses, churches or organizations committing $250 per month = $7,500.
75 individuals committing $100 per month = $7,500.
Or maybe it is a combination of all three.
This is achievable.
But it will not happen if everyone assumes somebody else is going to do it.
For 61 years, Anderson County has been able to count on this agency.
The question now is:
Can this agency count on Anderson County?
Because if ACCAC closes, those lines will not disappear.
The building will simply be closed when those people arrive.
If you own a business, lead a church, belong to a civic organization, represent a corporation, or are simply an individual who believes our seniors, veterans, widows and struggling families deserve access to food, we are asking you to step forward now.
Not after the doors close.
Now.
We need $7,500 in sustainable monthly pledges.
Share this post.
Tag a business.
Tag a church.
Tag an organization.
Challenge your employer.
Challenge your civic club.
Challenge your community leaders.
Challenge your Mayorās and ask the hard questions.
And if you can pledge monthly support, contact Anderson County Community Aid Coalition.
Sixty-one years of serving Anderson County should not end because the community assumed someone else was paying the bills.
Now you know the cold, hard facts.
What happens next is up to all of us.
For more information please contact us at: [email protected]
