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The TLC Community Center continues to provide food for children during the summer months.

This marks the 20th year the non-profit has teamed up with local churches and the Second Harvest Food Bank to ensure that families going through financial hardships will have a way to provide nutritional food for their children.

“I am now feeding children of the first children we served 20 years ago,” said center director Angie Odum. “The goal is to reach children that might not have transportation or access to food. We go into areas where children are grouped together. We do everything through the center and with the help of local churches. We are not federal or state-funded.”

Children receive a hot meal that might consist of spaghetti, pizza, chicken, and other items that children are likely to enjoy. They also receive a bag with a sandwich and sides along with either a breakfast bar or a pop tart for breakfast the next morning.

No sign-up is required and the food is delivered on three different routes with three vans utilized by the center which are marked so children will be aware they are at the correct van.

For those not on the routes, food may be picked up at the TLC Center located at 145 Judge Don Lewis Blvd. Suite #7 in Elizabethton between 11:30 and 11:45 a.m. or they may come to one of the route sites to pick up food as well.

Odum described how the kids receive the food along the route.

“When the van is in the area, the horn will blow just like when the ice cream trucks ran years ago,” said Odum. “They come to the van and we have prayer and then we hand out the food and they take it to their homes. The kids just need to remember to look to ensure they see our logo on the vans for their protection.”

The three routes are as follows:
Valley-Forge Hampton
– Grindstaff Road
– Coal Chute Road
– Long Hollow Road
– Mill Pond Road
– Swimming Pool Road
– Carl Smith Road
– Dennis Cove Road
– Nave Street
– Rittertown Road

Apartments
– Mountain Hollow Apartments
– Lynnwood and Lynn Ridge Apartments

Housing Authority
– Pine Ridge Circle
– South Hills Estate
– Sugar Hollow Road
– West G. Street apartment units.

These routes start running at 12:30 p.m.

Odum said the Hampton route currently is providing 110 meals; the apartment route is providing 241 meals, and the Housing Authority routes is providing 278 meals. She added that after summer school ends that number will increase.

“What makes this thing so huge is the community involvement to help us feed these children,” said Odum. “Even those teenagers that need Tennessee Promise hours are welcomed to come help and earn hours.”