MCA Giving Tuesday 2025

MCA identifies and serves low-income residents who live on the fringe with limited access to resources. Our community and senior center, food pantry, and thrift store are all at the same location. No other organization provides these types of services in our area. MCA works to eradicate hunger, food insecurity, social isolation and loneliness, and to ensure the physical and emotional health of older residents of rural western Hawkins County by providing an array of services to improve their quality of life and health equity. MCA has a breadth of services that cultivate connections and help us address social isolation and loneliness for older folks, and everyone else, living in Mooresburg:

• Meals in the Hills - Meals on Wheels America member; prepare heart healthy, nutritionally dense home-delivered meals to approximately 70 older adults Monday through Friday (with nearly a quarter of these individuals also receiving additional weekend meals as well), many of whom are at high risk of food insecurity; meals are prepared daily in our state-of-the-art kitchen by former USDA and ServSafe certified kitchen manager Linda; meals are then delivered by our volunteer force of approximately 3 dozen, most of which are retired older adults themselves, but we are starting to get a few youngsters in as well; our volunteers deliver more than just a meal, but also a wellness check up with a smiling face and listening ear, as this may be the only interaction they have with another person all day; our Claws & Paws pet program allows us to supplement a pound of cat or dog food a week to these recipients and certain vet services, whose only companion is sometimes their pet;
• Congregate Meals – opportunities to convene at the community and senior center and enjoy a meal with a friend; our congregate area is small, so we have Mondays and Wednesdays set aside for our ladies, while our men’s lunch is on Tuesdays; we will add additional days if more men are interested, but as of now it is a 2 man show
• Appalachian Arts in the Hills – newest program that was initiated last year to embrace the arts, culture, history, and traditions of our Appalachian heritage; MCA partners with local artists, poets, historians, and organizations to provide workshops, lectures, and field trips to our rural community; 17 unique classes have already taken place including a poetry writing workshop, history lecture and genealogy of the Melungeons, history of Black families in east TN, paleontology class, ikebana vase making, pottery painting, basket weaving, with trips to Aunt Haley’s cabin, ETSU Reece Museum, Bays Mountain Planetarium, Allandale Mansion, Crockett tavern Museum, and the Museum of Appalachia, Creative Day with Clay, and Appalachian Herbal Remedy Workshops throughout September, with upcoming classes such as: wood burning, painting, and photography.
• Friends & Family Thrift Store – provides an affordable place to shop, Monday through Saturday, as well as connect with our lovely thrift store staff and volunteers who always have a smile on their face; some folks stop by just to chat with the girls, while one man in particular sits on Saturdays, just because he feels like he his protecting the place.
• Other Social Connection Opportunities
  1. BINGO happens every Monday; ladies throw hands over who gets which cards and how many; Bingo is fierce, and play continues until everyone has won at least once; SUPER Bingo is held the third Monday of the month!
  2. Chair Yoga is scheduled every Wednesday, led by one of our 80-year-old volunteers, Carol. Folks of all ages are welcome to join a well-rounded exercise class, suitable for both men and women. Chair yoga is shown to improve strength, balance, mindfulness, and flexibility, help those with arthritis, reduce joint pain, and reduce the fear of falling, which is a major public health crisis. Through this class, individuals listen to their body and have a chance to interact with others who may or may not have more experience than them.
  3. Birthday Lunch Field Trips are taken once a month to the person with a birthday in that month’s choice of restaurant. We sometimes combine this trip with our Arts in the Hills field trips, however this is not always the case. These folks do not have the luxury to go out to eat as much as others, so these trips are always well attended. Food brings people together more than anything else.
  4. Regular Arts and Crafts classes are held after each congregate meal on Monday and Wednesdays, if no Appalachian Arts in the Hills classes or field trips are scheduled. They have a plethora of items to work with, and most just enjoy the time spent with friends rather than sitting at home, alone.
  5. Men usually just sit and talk, whether it be about their farm, garden, or the good old days. We have many games/activities they are more than welcome to use; however, they are not interested in these. If this changes, we will too!