KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Wesley House Community Center is making a big impact in Knoxville within the Beaumont, Lonsdale, and Mechanicsville neighborhoods offering a free food pantry and a community store through its Emergent Needs Program.
Leaders at Wesley House launched this effort back in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. What began as a simple food pantry has since grown into a fully stocked donation center, all because the need just hasn’t stopped.
The program focuses on combating food insecurity and providing an outlet for the basic necessities to live. The Wesley House Community center said the need is growing stronger every single year.
Knoxville nonprofit sees 300% rise in demand for food assistance
“Since 2020, we’ve seen our numbers triple here in Knoxville. So, we’ve went from serving or having 5,000 impacts to now having over 40,000 impacts per year,” said Denarius Ross, Wesley House Senior Director of Programs. “To be here and support this community, which is Knoxville’s most underserved communities, and just being able to give back has always been a very rewarding experience for us.”…