ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) — A longtime nonprofit that has provided food, clothing and emergency assistance to hundreds of Anderson County residents each month is closing its doors after county officials denied a request for one-time stabilization funding.
The Anderson County Community Aid Coalition announced it can no longer afford operating expenses, including rent, utilities and payroll. The organization’s final day of operation will be October 29, and it must vacate its building by November 1.
The coalition serves more than 800 people each month, providing groceries, clothing, shoes and other essential resources to families facing financial hardship.
For residents like Linda Wills, the closure creates uncertainty about where families will turn for help.
“I’m raising five grandkids and it’s hard. But I know God will help us,” Wills said.
Wills said the coalition has been a critical resource for her family and believes many people misunderstand who benefits from its services.
“A lot of people think it’s just for homeless people, but it’s not. It’s for all people to get help with food. A lot of people struggling. Rent’s so high in Anderson County and gas is high,” she said.
Funding Request Denied
According to Anderson County Finance Director Robert Holbrook, the county’s nonprofit committee denied the coalition’s request for $16,000 in one-time stabilization funding in May 2026.
The request included funding for rent, relocation costs and operational support.
Holbrook said the application did not meet the county’s charitable donation policy because it included a 2023 tax return that was no longer current under documentation requirements. County policy required financial records dated within two years of the application submission.
Coalition Executive Director Tammy Crowe disputes that the organization understood those requirements.
Crowe said the coalition would have completed another audit or submitted updated tax documents if officials had informed them that additional paperwork was needed.
“I Don’t Know Where to Tell Them to Go”
Crowe, who became executive director in 2023, said her connection to the organization goes back decades.
She recalls turning to the coalition herself when she struggled to pay her electric bill.
“It was an incredibly humbling experience,” Crowe said.
She emphasized that the closure is not the result of declining community donations but rather a lack of operational funding.
Crowe fears the organization’s clients may have few alternatives once the doors close.
“I don’t know where to tell them to go. I truly don’t,” she said. “There’s not anyone in Anderson County that does what we do.”
Concerns About Replacing Services
Misty Goodwin, CEO of the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee, said her agency cannot provide services to Anderson County residents because of grant restrictions.
County leaders have pointed to the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency Workforce Development program as a resource for residents needing assistance.
However, Wills said local food pantries and other agencies do not provide the same level of support.
“They got food pantries at the churches, but you just go once a month or once every two months and that’s it. It’s not a hands-on care,” Wills said.
County Response
In a statement, Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank praised the coalition’s work and noted that hundreds of other nonprofit organizations continue serving residents throughout the county.
Frank also stated that grant funding previously received by the coalition is now managed through ETHRA for Anderson County residents.
As the shutdown approaches, coalition leaders and clients alike worry about the impact on hundreds of families that rely on the nonprofit each month for basic necessities.
For many residents, the closure marks the loss of a community organization that has served as a safety net for decades.
