The Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency will begin a Commodity Distribution on Thursday, July 11, at the National Guard Armory at 128 Don M. Lewis Blvd., Elizabethton. Items will be distributed on a first come, first served basis to income eligible households until all commodities are gone. All recipients must be residents of Tennessee. This project is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

Each recipient must now have a Light Blue colored commodity ID card in order to pick up their commodities. An ID card is obtained by completing an application at the Neighborhood Service Center. Each recipient is strongly encouraged to complete the application the week prior to the distribution, which will be helpful in reducing wait time. However, staff will be available on site during the distribution to assist in acquiring a commodity card. If someone is picking up your commodities, they must have your ID card and be authorized on your application; limits to pick up are five (5) orders.

The distribution will begin at 11 a.m. and will end at 1:30 p.m. or earlier if food is no longer available. Also, volunteers may be available to help elderly and disabled persons carry their commodities.

Misrepresentation of need, or sale or exchange of USDA commodities is prohibited and could result in a fine, imprisonment, or both. USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program is available to all eligible recipients regardless of race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency is 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: Carter, Greene, Hawkins, Hancock, Johnson, Sullivan, Washington and Unicoi. UETHDA has a variety of programs from emergency assistance to more long terms paths for self-sufficiency, including national programs such as Head Start, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and more. UETHDA operates nine neighborhood service centers in those eight counties.

To learn more visit www.uethda.org