For nearly 90 years, the Friendly Fellow Club food basket project has been a Christmastime tradition for the entire community in Athens and McMinn County. The Friendly Fellow Club was started by J. Neal Ensminger and Frank Buttram to serve households in the community with food to get them through the winter.
Beginning Thursday, November 9, 2023, applications will be available for pickup from the drive through windows of any McMinn County branch of the following financial institutions: CapStar Bank, Simmons Bank, Truist, Peoples Bank of East Tennessee, SouthEast Bank, Citizens National Bank, Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union, ORNL Federal Credit Union, or Bowater Credit Union.
Applications must be returned to those financial institutions’ drive through windows or mailed by the close of business on Friday, December 1. For those wishing to mail applications, send them to Friendly Fellow Club, P.O. Box 325, Athens, TN 37371-0325.
Applicants are asked to return only the white copy of their application and keep the yellow copy for verification purposes when picking up their food box.
All applicants must reside within McMinn County, Tennessee, in order to qualify for assistance.
The community will gather to pack food boxes on Tuesday, December 19, at 6 p.m. at the National Guard Armory, located off Highway 30 between Athens and Etowah. Baskets will be distributed at that location on Wednesday, December 20, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Applicants are asked to bring the yellow copy of their application at that time for verification when picking up their box.
Donations can be made via credit/debit card by clicking the “Donate” button at right. Donations can also be mailed to P.O. Box 325, Athens, TN 37371-0325. Make checks payable to Friendly Fellow Club. If you wish to make the donation in honor or memory of a friend or loved one, write a note on the payment form or include a note with your check. Donations are tax-deductible, and 100 percent of all funds raised go to help families in McMinn County.