Lt. Chris Slaton and Cindy Pugh of the Athens Police Department stop by Kindred at Home in Athens Tuesday to show their support for the agency's countywide food and supply drive to benefit area seniors.

Throughout the month of August, Kindred at Home in Athens is joining forces with the community to collect food and supplies for area seniors in need.

Kindred at Home is the largest home health agency in the country, providing in-home skilled nursing, physical and occupational therapies and related services. According to executive director of the Kindred at Home Athens branch, Jerri Williams, the majority of its patients are elderly so it was only natural to focus on them this year.

“To think that many of our seniors don’t have enough food or just the basics is heart breaking,” she said. “Unfortunately, once our seniors buy their medicine, many of them don’t have much left over.”

With collection sites throughout Limestone County, Williams hopes to collect enough non-perishable food, household supplies like laundry detergent and cleaning products, and personal hygiene items to fill that gap.

Those interested in helping can drop off designated items during business hours through Aug. 31 at the following locations: Kindred at Home, 905 S. Clinton St., Athens; Athens Police Department, 951 E. Hobbs St.; Dr. Matthew McMaster’s dentist office, 26741 Main St., Ardmore, Tennessee; Traditions of Athens, 22171 Traditions Way, Athens; Limestone Lodge, 1532 W. Hobbs St., Athens; and Limestone Manor, 600 U.S. 31 North, Athens. The agency will also be collecting donations in the Walmart parking lots from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 22.

Based on the growing piles of items at their collection sites and the outpouring of community support, Williams thinks this may be the biggest year since they started doing the August food drives 14 years ago. Last year, Kindred collected 650 pounds of food, a number Williams believes they will easily beat this time around.

“We want to be able to help as many of our seniors as possible, and I think we will,” she said. “People have been coming off the street to donate items. They seem to really want to support our seniors.”

All donated items will be distributed to area seniors through the Limestone County Council on Aging.