On Saturday mornings in Covington, Tennessee, Covington First United Methodist Church comes to life before sunrise. Volunteers arrive early, sorting food, setting tables, and preparing boxes that will soon be placed into the hands of hundreds of families. By the time distribution begins, a steady rhythm is already in place—organized, familiar, and deeply relational.
Covington First United Methodist Church has served the community since 1828, rooted in a largely agricultural region of West Tennessee just north of Memphis. Today, the area faces persistent economic strain, with roughly 30% of residents living below the poverty line. For many, especially older adults on fixed incomes, food insecurity is a daily reality.
The most amount of people that we see in need of food are the elderly ... The ones trying to live on that Social Security income alone.
“The most amount of people that we see in need of food are the elderly,” said Liz Newman, program contact for the ministry. “The ones trying to live on that Social Security income alone.”
The church’s food ministry began in 2010 as part of its Good Samaritan outreach, which originally helped with utilities, prescriptions, and emergency assistance. Over time, food requests increased significantly, leading the church to establish a dedicated food pantry.
“We just decided to make that food ministry a separate ministry,” Newman said. “And it has been going on since 2010.”
Since then, the ministry has expanded into a consistent lifeline for families across Tipton County and surrounding areas. The church now operates two pantry locations—one in the northern part of the county on the first and third Saturdays, and another in the southern region on the second and fourth Saturdays—improving access across a wide geographic area.
Each month, the ministry serves approximately 300 households, reaching about 900 to 950 individuals. Food boxes are tailored to household size and designed to last roughly a week, including canned goods, dry staples, meat when available, fresh produce, baked goods, and donated items like eggs.
“It’s a wonderful community ministry,” Newman said. “It serves the community, and the community is serving the need.”
Before receiving support from the ENCORE Ministry Foundation, the pantry faced a sudden crisis when its primary cooler for produce and dairy failed. The loss threatened its ability to provide some of the most essential and valued items.
The grant came about one week after the primary cooler… died on us ... I consider this to be a God thing in no uncertain terms.
“The grant came about one week after the primary cooler… died on us,” Newman said. “I consider this to be a God thing in no uncertain terms.”
The ENCORE Ministry Foundation Food Security Grant allowed the church to replace the cooler and continue providing fresh food without interruption. It also ensured the ministry could maintain consistent access to perishable items that many households depend on but cannot regularly afford.
“This is a commodity that many of our patrons look forward to every week,” Newman said.
With the new equipment and financial stability, volunteers can now focus more on service and less on crisis management. The grant strengthened the pantry’s operations and reinforced its ability to serve reliably week after week.
Volunteers—including a large number of older adults—remain central to the ministry’s success. Each Saturday, 15 to 20 volunteers serve on-site, with a broader network of about 120 individuals supporting weekday work such as unloading deliveries and organizing food.
“Our senior adults not only receive help, but they help serve,” Newman said. “The grant has been a great booster. It shows we can keep going.”
That consistency has also deepened trust within the community. Most families hear about the pantry through word of mouth, and participation continues to grow across economic, social, and religious lines.
“We are crossing not only economic boundaries,” Newman said, “but also religious and socioeconomic boundaries because we are all working together for the same cause.”
Looking ahead, church leaders emphasize that food insecurity remains a long-term challenge in the region, not a temporary need. Their focus is on sustaining and strengthening the ministry rather than expanding beyond capacity.
“There’s not a community in the United States that is not facing food insecurity,” Newman said. “We are called to meet the needs of our neighbors.”
For Covington First United Methodist Church, the ENCORE Ministry Foundation grant has helped ensure that call continues to be met—steadily, reliably, and with dignity.
About ENCORE Ministry Foundation
ENCORE Ministry Foundation equips congregations to serve older adults through grants, partnerships, leadership development, and age-friendly church certifications. In 2025, the foundation awarded $100,000 to 20 churches through the Kent and Ellen McNish Food Security Grant, supporting food distribution ministries for older adults facing hunger.
To learn more or support the Food Security Fund, visit encoreministry.org or contact Executive Director John Rivas at.
