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HelpByState

Putnam County, Tennessee

Free help in Putnam County, Tennessee

Find a food pantry open this week
Free help from local charities, food banks, and state and federal programs. Free to use, no sign-up. Every listing shows the day we checked it.

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Checked for youEach listing shows the day we checked it, so you do not drive to a closed door.

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24confirmed listings
3towns covered
11food pantries and meal programs
October 9last checked

This week

Food this week in Putnam County

Pick a day to see which pantries are open and when. Times come from each pantry's confirmed schedule. Tap Call to reach them.

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Tap a numbered circle to zoom in. Pins are for orientation only: trust the address on each card.

CUMBERLANDDEKALBFENTRESSJACKSONOVERTONSMITHWHITE PUTNAM COUNTY Center Hill Lake CookevilleAlgoodBaxterMonterey
Tennessee
24 places

    Some safety programs do not share an address, so they are not on the map. They are listed under Safety below.

    Food pantries and meals11

    Cookeville

    Collegeside Church of Christ

    Food pantry, a Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partner.

    Hours
    Wednesday 4 to 6 PM
    Address
    252 E 9th Street, Bread for Life, Cookeville, TN 38501

    Call first. Hours come from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee's own list. Please call to confirm before you go.

    Checked October 9, 2026. Source: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee food finder.Suggest an update
    Cookeville

    First United Methodist Church, God's Grace Food Pantry

    Free food or meals, a Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partner.

    Hours
    Tuesday 2:30 to 6 PM. Only using ready to cook meals
    Address
    204 East Spring Street, Wesley Chapel, 165 East Broad St., Cookeville, TN 38501

    Call first. Hours come from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee's own list. Please call to confirm before you go.

    Checked October 9, 2026. Source: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee food finder.Suggest an update
    Cookeville

    Helping Hands of Putnam County

    Food pantry, a Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partner.

    Hours
    Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9 AM to 12 PM & 1 to 3 PM. Call 931-526-3838 for appointment
    Address
    421 East Broad Street, Cookeville, TN 38501

    Call first. Hours come from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee's own list. Please call to confirm before you go.

    Checked October 9, 2026. Source: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee food finder.Suggest an update
    Cookeville

    Living Hope Church

    Food pantry, a Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partner.

    Hours
    Tuesday 12 to 1:45 PM
    Address
    1020 East Spring St., Cookeville, TN 38503

    Call first. Hours come from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee's own list. Please call to confirm before you go.

    Checked October 9, 2026. Source: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee food finder.Suggest an update
    Monterey

    Monterey Food Pantry

    Food pantry, a Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partner.

    Hours
    Tuesday 9 AM to 12 PM. On Call for emergencies
    Address
    400 West Crawford, Cate - Gill Medical Arts Bldg., Monterey, TN 38574

    Call first. Hours come from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee's own list. Please call to confirm before you go.

    Checked October 9, 2026. Source: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee food finder.Suggest an update
    Monterey

    Monterey Mission Center

    Food pantry, a Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partner.

    Hours
    2nd Friday & 4th Saturday 10 AM to 12 PM (5th weeks produce only)
    Address
    315 E. Peters Ave., Monterey, TN 38574

    Call first. Hours come from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee's own list. Please call to confirm before you go.

    Checked October 9, 2026. Source: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee food finder.Suggest an update
    Cookeville

    New Beginning Fellowship Church

    Food pantry, a Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partner.

    Hours
    2nd Saturday 9 to 10 AM
    Address
    775 W. Cemetery Road, Cookeville, TN 38506

    Call first. Hours come from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee's own list. Please call to confirm before you go.

    Checked October 9, 2026. Source: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee food finder.Suggest an update
    Baxter

    Restoring Hope

    Food pantry, a Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partner.

    Hours
    Tuesday 2 to 5 PM; on call for emergencies
    Address
    7310 Baxter Road, Baxter, TN 38544

    Call first. Hours come from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee's own list. Please call to confirm before you go.

    Checked October 9, 2026. Source: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee food finder.Suggest an update
    Cookeville

    The Care Center

    Food pantry, a Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partner.

    Hours
    Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12 to 2 PM
    Address
    406 Short Street, 327 W Steven St. (Steven Street Baptist), Cookeville, TN 38501

    Call first. Hours come from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee's own list. Please call to confirm before you go.

    Checked October 9, 2026. Source: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee food finder.Suggest an update
    Cookeville

    UCHRA, Putnam County

    Food pantry, a Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partner.

    Hours
    Mon Fri 8 AM to 4:30 PM
    Address
    580 S Jefferson Ave, Suite B, Cookeville, TN 38501

    Call first. Hours come from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee's own list. Please call to confirm before you go.

    Checked October 9, 2026. Source: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee food finder.Suggest an update
    Countywide

    Second Harvest Food Bank Of Middle Tennessee Inc (call to find a pantry near you)

    Second Harvest Food Bank Of Middle Tennessee Inc serves Putnam County through local partner pantries but does not publish a public list of them. Call and they will tell you the nearest pantry and when it is open.

    Hours
    Please call for hours
    Address
    331 Great Circle Road, Nashville, TN 37228

    Call first. Call to find the nearest pantry and its hours.

    Utility bills and rent help1

    Countywide

    Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency

    Community action agency: help paying light and gas bills (LIHEAP), and, when funds allow, emergency rent help and other family programs. Call to ask what help is open now.

    Hours
    Please call for hours

    Call first. Hours are not listed. Call first to ask what help is open now and what to bring.

    Checked October 9, 2026. Source: THDA LIHEAP agency contacts (2026).Suggest an update

    Housing1

    Cookeville

    Highlands Residential Services

    Public housing (low-rent apartments) for low-income families, older adults and people with disabilities.

    Hours
    Please call for hours
    Address
    235 W Jackson St, Cookeville, TN 38501

    Call first. Office hours are not published. Call to ask about openings and the waiting list.

    Health and dental3

    Cookeville

    Putnam County Health Department Community Health Center

    Community health center run by Tennessee Department of Health. It sees patients with or without insurance and, as a federally funded health center, must offer discounts based on income.

    Hours
    Please call for hours
    Address
    701 County Services Dr, Cookeville, TN 38501

    Call first. Hours are not published on an official page we could check. Call first.

    Cookeville

    Upper Cumberland Primary Care Project

    Community health center run by Tennessee Department of Health. It sees patients with or without insurance and, as a federally funded health center, must offer discounts based on income.

    Hours
    Please call for hours
    Address
    1100 England Dr, Cookeville, TN 38501

    Call first. Hours are not published on an official page we could check. Call first.

    Monterey

    Monterey-Putnam County Health Department Community Health Center

    Community health center run by Tennessee Department of Health. It sees patients with or without insurance and, as a federally funded health center, must offer discounts based on income.

    Hours
    Please call for hours
    Address
    400 W Crawford Ave, Monterey, TN 38574

    Call first. Hours are not published on an official page we could check. Call first.

    Recovery and mental health help2

    Statewide

    988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

    Call or text 988 to reach a trained crisis counselor any time, for a mental health crisis, thoughts of suicide or a substance use crisis. It is free and confidential. Veterans can press 1.

    Hours
    24 hours a day, 7 days a week

    Veterans services2

    Statewide

    Veterans Crisis Line

    Dial 988, then press 1. Or text 838255, or chat at veteranscrisisline.net. Free and confidential. You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care.

    Hours
    Open 24 hours a day, every day
    Statewide

    VA national phone lines

    VA benefits: 800-827-1000. VA health benefits: 877-222-8387. Homeless veterans, open 24 hours: 877-424-3838. MyVA411, the main VA line, open 24 hours: 800-698-2411.

    Hours
    Benefits line, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM Eastern

    Safety and crisis help1

    Statewide

    National Domestic Violence Hotline

    Free, confidential help for anyone hurt or threatened by a partner or family member: safety planning, shelter referrals and someone to talk to. Call 1-800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or chat at TheHotline.org. In an emergency, call 911.

    Hours
    24 hours a day, 7 days a week

    Government offices2

    How HelpByState works

    Checked, dated and corrected by neighbors

    1. 1

      Matched to the source

      A listing goes up only after its phone and its address or hours match the organization's own page, or an official list.

    2. 2

      Dated on every card

      Each card shows the day we checked it. If sources disagree, we say call first instead of guessing.

    3. 3

      Fixed by the community

      See something wrong, or know a place we missed? Send it in. Nothing changes until we have checked it.

    Neighbors helping neighbors

    Help is closer than you think in Putnam County

    A volunteer hands a bag of fresh groceries to a mother holding her daughter's hand
    Free groceriesFood banks and pantries give food to anyone who needs it.
    A helper smiles as she helps an older man fill out a form
    Someone to help you applyState offices and local programs help with food stamps, bills and more.
    Kids laughing together over a free meal with a grandmother at a community center
    Meals and care for kidsFree meals, clinics and family programs, close to home.

    Questions people ask

    Where can I get free food in Putnam County, Tennessee?

    We have confirmed 11 places that can help in Putnam County: Collegeside Church of Christ in Cookeville (Wednesday 4 to 6 PM), (931) 526-2661, call first; First United Methodist Church, God's Grace Food Pantry in Cookeville (Tuesday 2:30 to 6 PM. Only using ready to cook meals), (931) 526-2177, call first; Helping Hands of Putnam County in Cookeville (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9 AM to 12 PM & 1 to 3 PM. Call 931-526-3838 for appointment), (931) 526-3838, call first. 8 more are listed on this page. Please call first to confirm the ones marked call first. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.

    Where can I get help paying rent or a utility bill in Putnam County, Tennessee?

    We have confirmed one place that can help in Putnam County: Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency, (931) 528-1127. Please call first to confirm. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.

    Where can I get housing help in Putnam County, Tennessee?

    We have confirmed one place that can help in Putnam County: Highlands Residential Services in Cookeville, (931) 526-9793. Please call first to confirm. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.

    Where can I find a free or low-cost clinic in Putnam County, Tennessee?

    We have confirmed 3 places that can help in Putnam County: Putnam County Health Department Community Health Center in Cookeville, (931) 528-2531, call first; Upper Cumberland Primary Care Project in Cookeville, (931) 528-7531, call first; Monterey-Putnam County Health Department Community Health Center, (931) 839-3146, call first. Please call first to confirm the ones marked call first. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.

    Where can I get help with addiction or mental health in Putnam County, Tennessee?

    We have confirmed 2 places that can help in Putnam County: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (24 hours a day, 7 days a week), 988; SAMHSA National Helpline (Open 24 hours a day, every day), (800) 662-4357. If you are in crisis right now, call or text 988. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.

    Where can I get help with veterans benefits in Putnam County, Tennessee?

    We have confirmed 2 places that can help in Putnam County: Veterans Crisis Line (Open 24 hours a day, every day), 988; VA national phone lines (Benefits line, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM Eastern), (800) 827-1000. A veteran in crisis can call 988 and press 1, or text 838255.

    Where can I get free legal help in Putnam County, Tennessee?

    We have confirmed one place that can help in Putnam County: Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, (800) 238-1443. Please call first to confirm. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.

    Is HelpByState free to use?

    Yes. There is nothing to sign up for and nothing to pay. Every listing is free, and so is adding or correcting one.

    Why do some listings say call first?

    Church and community pantries often change days, move, or close for a holiday. When the sources we checked disagree, or an organization does not publish its hours, we say so instead of guessing. A quick call saves a trip.

    I run a pantry or a program. How do I get listed or fix our hours?

    Use the Add a listing or Suggest an update form. We confirm it against your own page or contact you, then change the listing. It is free.

    Is this the same as 2-1-1?

    No. 2-1-1 is a statewide phone line and database run by the state network. HelpByState is an independent, county-by-county directory that shows the date each listing was checked. If you want to talk to a person, dial 2-1-1.

    Where do the hours and phone numbers come from?

    From each organization's own website or page, official sources such as housing authority and WIC clinic lists, and the public Find Food map of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee food finder. We list the source on every card.

    Something missing, or out of date?

    If you run a pantry or program, or you saw a listing that is wrong, tell us. We check every message against the organization's own page before anything changes.