It’s that time of the year again when we see a rise in the need of food and utility assistance. If you or some one else needs any help this year please call the Smith County Help Center at 615-735-8090 (ext 1). This will get you in touch with the office personnel, so we can schedule you an appointment. You will need to bring some documentation with you, such as, an official ID, proof of residence, and proof of income. We update client files once a year, not with every visit. A client can get a food box every 30 days, and when available with our food boxes, you will get a $20.00 voucher for meat, produce and dairy. Clients can also receive assistance on utilities once per calendar year, up to $350.00. We see clients on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Please keep in mind office personnel might not available on other days. If emergency assistance is needed, we can hand out traveler’s bags. This bag will not have as much as our normal food boxes. These are designed to get a client through a day until they are able to come in to talk to office personnel.
Listed below are the items that come in every base food box. (Larger families will receive more of each item):
-3 cans of Veggies
-2 packs of Ramen Noodles
-1 can of Fruit
-1 box Instant Potatoes
-2 Hamburger Helper
-1 pack of Spaghetti Noodles
-1 jar of Tomato Sauce
-2 Cornmeal Mix
-1 can of Pinto or White Beans
-3 Packs of Kool Aid
-1 bag Sugar
-1 jar of Jelly
-1 jar Peanut Butter
-1 box of Oatmeal
-1 Box of Cereal
-3 Soups
-1 Box of Crackers
-1 box of Shells and Cheese
-1 can of Meat
-1 box of Pancake Mix
-1 bottle of Syrup
We are always taking donations of these items to add to our food pantry. We can also receive monetary donations to assist in purchasing these items, and encourage you to donate and shop at our 2nd Editions Thrift Store in downtown Carthage to support our mission of helping Smith County!
