In a one-mile-square Memphis neighborhood of about 2,800 residents, Jacob’s Ladder has spent more than 20 years responding to poverty,
On the third Thursday of every month in Lafayette, Tennessee, cars begin lining up hours before the doors open at Lafayette United Methodist Church. Some arrive early because they’ve been before. Others come because they’re unsure if there will be enough. Many wait quietly—not just for food, but for reassurance that they are not alone.
Family Kitchen is a cooperative meal ministry in McCracken County, Kentucky, supported by 15 congregations—10 United Methodist and five from other denominations—that rotate responsibility for preparing and serving weekly meals. Each church plans, cooks, and serves on a rotating schedule, creating a shared model of ministry grounded in collaboration and consistency.
On Saturday mornings in Antioch, Tennessee, Hamilton United Methodist Church is already in motion before most of the neighborhood wakes
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.
High atop Monteagle Mountain in Tennessee, Morton Memorial United Methodist Church has become a vital lifeline for its community. For more than 20 years, the church has addressed hunger on the South Cumberland Plateau, growing a simple act of kindness into a thriving food mission serving hundreds of families each month.
On the west bank of the Tennessee River, Camden First United Methodist Church stands at the heart of Benton County’s small-town life. With roughly 3,000 residents in the city and 15,000 in the county, this rural congregation might seem like a quiet dot on the map—but its food ministry reverberates far beyond the church walls.
Much like assisted living, memory care communities and sections of senior communities provide seniors with a safe and secure living environment, quality food, access to social and recreational activities, housekeeping, and help with activities of daily living (ADLs).
In Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Connell Memorial United Methodist Church has anchored its neighborhood since 1902. On Sundays, about 130 people fill the pews, with nearly 100 more joining online. But on Tuesdays, faith leaves the sanctuary and takes to the streets.
For over a decade, Joe McHenry, the church’s program contact, has led the Meals on Wheels ministry. What started as a way to care for aging church members has grown into a vital lifeline for the broader community. Today, the program delivers meals to about 60 homebound neighbors each week—nearly 80% of them not church members.
Elder’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Smyrna is among 20 churches across Tennessee receiving a $5,000 Food Security Grant from ENCORE Ministry Foundation. The funding is part of a $100,000 initiative aimed at helping churches expand food programs for seniors impacted by rising costs and cuts to SNAP benefits.
Empowering Churches.
Honoring Senior Adults.
Strengthening Communities.
