Meals and Grocery Help for Seniors in Sumner County

Seniors and caregivers in Sumner County can start with Mid-Cumberland Meals-on-Wheels at 615-452-4022 for home-delivered meals in Gallatin, Portland and White House. Tennessee’s Aging Nutrition Program also directs older adults and caregivers to their Area Agency on Aging and Disability at 1-866-836-6678. For groceries, Feed Sumner in Gallatin offers a senior shopping pantry by appointment and need-based at-home delivery at 615-348-4470. SNAP applications are handled through the Tennessee Department of Human Services.

Seniors who need food in Sumner County have several starting points, depending on whether they need a meal delivered, groceries brought to the home, a place to eat with others or help paying for food.

• Home-delivered meals: Call Mid-Cumberland Meals-on-Wheels at 615-452-4022 for service covering Gallatin, Portland and White House. Mid-Cumberland says people age 60 and older who are homebound or meet state-guideline needs may be eligible.
• Statewide aging nutrition help: Call Tennessee’s Area Agency on Aging and Disability information line at 1-866-836-6678 for help with congregate meals, home-delivered meals, food boxes and local eligibility questions.
• Groceries in Gallatin: Feed Sumner, at 1121 Gregory Drive, offers a shopping pantry for qualifying adults age 65 and older by appointment and need-based at-home deliveries. Call 615-348-4470.
• Food benefits: Apply for SNAP through the Tennessee Department of Human Services’ One DHS Customer Portal or through a paper application.

This guide is for Sumner County seniors, caregivers and volunteers. Availability, eligibility and wait times can change, so call the responsible program before relying on a service for an immediate meal.

Start here: the fastest way to find help

Use the option that most closely matches the person’s immediate need:

Need — Best first contact — What to ask

Meals delivered to a home in Gallatin, Portland or White House — Mid-Cumberland Meals-on-Wheels, 615-452-4022 — Ask about eligibility, intake, delivery area and current availability.

Help finding any local senior nutrition service — Tennessee Aging Nutrition Program, 1-866-836-6678 — Ask for the Area Agency on Aging and Disability serving Sumner County.

Groceries for an older adult who can shop by appointment — Feed Sumner, 615-348-4470 — Ask about the senior shopping pantry and onboarding requirements.

Groceries delivered to someone who cannot leave home — Feed Sumner, 615-348-4470 — Ask whether the person meets the current at-home delivery criteria.

Help paying for groceries — Tennessee Department of Human Services SNAP program — Apply through One DHS or ask for application assistance.

Local senior referrals and community information — Gallatin Senior Citizen’s Center, 615-451-1531 — Ask which local meal, transportation or food programs are currently active.

Compare senior meal and grocery options in Sumner County

Mid-Cumberland Meals-on-Wheels

Mid-Cumberland Human Resource Agency operates Meals-on-Wheels services in Sumner County. Its official service page lists Gallatin, Portland and White House for home-delivered meals at 615-452-4022, and lists Hendersonville separately at 615-824-0811. The program says hot meals are planned by a registered dietitian, prepared in a commercial kitchen Monday through Friday and delivered by volunteers.

Mid-Cumberland states that people age 60 and older who are homebound, or who meet needs determined by state guidelines, may be eligible for Meals-on-Wheels. Older adults age 60 and older may also ask their local dining site about congregate meals. Because the organization does not publish a current Sumner County wait time on the service page, ask about availability during the initial call.

Best fit: A senior who has difficulty shopping or preparing food and may benefit from a regular meal delivery and a volunteer check-in.

Tennessee Aging Nutrition Program

Tennessee’s Aging Nutrition Program serves adults age 60 and older through congregate meal settings and home-delivered meals. The state says meals may be available at senior centers, community organizations or senior housing, while home-delivered meals are available to older adults who qualify. The state’s instructions are to call 1-866-836-6678 to learn about local sites, eligibility and home-delivery options.

Congregate meals can be useful for an older adult who can travel to a meal site and wants a nutritious meal in a social setting. The state notes that schedules vary by site, so do not assume that every location serves meals every weekday or that a reservation is unnecessary.

Best fit: Someone who needs help locating the correct local aging agency or wants to compare home delivery with a community meal site.

Feed Sumner senior grocery help

Feed Sumner Food Bank & Ministry provides food assistance to Sumner County residents from its location at 1121 Gregory Drive in Gallatin. Its current guest information describes three relevant services:

1. Shopping pantry: A client-choice grocery experience designed for adults age 65 and older. It is available to qualified guests by appointment and includes a brief onboarding process.
2. At-home deliveries: Need-based food delivery for people who are homebound, primarily because of age, disability or medical limitations.
3. Monthly food distribution: A distribution held on the second Saturday of each month from 8 to 10 a.m.; Feed Sumner asks participants to bring identification or proof of Sumner County residence.

Call 615-348-4470 before visiting. The organization says food selection depends on inventory, and its monthly distribution, shopping pantry and at-home delivery programs have different procedures.

Best fit: A senior who needs groceries rather than prepared meals, especially someone who can use a client-choice pantry or qualifies for home delivery.

SNAP food assistance

SNAP is administered in Tennessee by the Department of Human Services. Older adults do not have to meet a separate age requirement to apply, but households that include someone age 60 or older or who is disabled are evaluated under specific income, resource and deduction rules. TDHS says households with an elderly or disabled member do not have to pass the gross-income standard but are subject to the net-income standard.

A person can apply online through the One DHS Customer Portal, submit a paper application through a TDHS office or mail an application. After applying, the applicant may need to complete an eligibility interview and provide verification documents. TDHS advises applicants to submit requested documents promptly and to send copies rather than original personal records when mailing information..

Best fit: A senior or household that needs continuing help purchasing groceries and may meet SNAP’s financial and program requirements.

Gallatin Senior Citizen’s Center and local referrals

The Gallatin Senior Citizen’s Center is located at 200 East Franklin Street in Gallatin and lists its hours as Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Its published phone number is 615-451-1531. The center’s current website does not publish complete meal-program details, so call before visiting to ask about current food, nutrition, transportation or referral services.

The City of Gallatin also maintains a senior directory that points residents to the Tennessee Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee for in-home services, Meals-on-Wheels and transportation information. The directory lists the Council on Aging phone number as 615-255-1010, but readers should confirm current referral procedures when calling.

Step-by-step checklist for seniors and caregivers

1. Identify the immediate need. Decide whether the person needs a prepared meal today, recurring meal delivery, groceries, food benefits or help getting to a meal site.
2. Call the closest matching program. For Gallatin-area meal delivery, start with Mid-Cumberland at 615-452-4022. For groceries in Gallatin, call Feed Sumner at 615-348-4470.
3. Describe the living situation clearly. Explain whether the person lives alone, is homebound, has mobility limitations, cannot safely cook or has transportation problems.
4. Ask about intake and timing. Confirm the application process, delivery days, required assessment, current capacity and what to do while waiting.
5. Apply for SNAP separately if appropriate. Meal delivery and pantry assistance do not replace an application for ongoing food benefits.
6. Write down the next action. Record the staff member’s instructions, documents requested, appointment date and follow-up phone number.
7. Arrange a backup plan. If a program has a wait list or cannot provide an immediate delivery, ask about Feed Sumner, 211, the Tennessee aging information line or another local referral.

What to have ready when you call or apply

A caregiver can make the process easier by having the following information available:

• The senior’s name, phone number and Sumner County address.
• Whether the person lives alone or has someone who can assist.
• Age and basic mobility information.
• Whether the person can leave home, shop, cook and safely reheat food.
• Dietary restrictions or food allergies.
• Household income and major medical or shelter expenses when applying for SNAP.
• Identification, proof of residence and income documents if requested by TDHS or a food program.
• Permission for a caregiver or volunteer to communicate with the program when needed.

Do not send original identification, benefit letters or other personal records by mail unless the responsible agency specifically instructs you to do so.

How volunteers can help

Mid-Cumberland says Meals-on-Wheels volunteers pack and deliver weekday lunchtime meals. The agency’s volunteer page says it does not currently offer evening or weekend opportunities, does not use one-time volunteers because of background-check costs and needs people willing to make an ongoing commitment. Interested volunteers can contact Sharon McDaniel at 615-595-1225 or by email through Mid-Cumberland’s volunteer page.

Volunteers can also help by arranging a ride to an appointment, helping a senior organize documents, checking whether a delivered meal was safely stored or making a follow-up call with permission. Volunteers should not promise eligibility, delivery dates or program placement on behalf of an agency.

Questions to ask before choosing a program

• Is the service available at this address in Sumner County?
• Does the person need to be age 60, age 65 or meet another eligibility standard?
• Is the service home-delivered, pickup-only or served at a community site?
• Is there a fee, suggested donation or income requirement?
• How often are meals or groceries available?
• Is there a wait list or intake assessment?
• Can the program accommodate diabetes, low-sodium, texture-modified or other dietary needs?
• Can a caregiver, family member or authorized volunteer receive the food?
• What should the household do if the delivery does not arrive?

Last verified and next review

Research checked: August 15, 2026.

Because meal capacity, contact numbers, pantry schedules and eligibility procedures can change, this page should be reviewed every 90 days, with the next scheduled review on November 13, 2026. The most important prepublication check is confirming the local Meals-on-Wheels intake number and current availability for Sumner County.