Helping Harlan County Seniors Live With Dignity
Mountain Heart Ministries is beginning where the need and our roots meet — Harlan County, Kentucky.
Our founder was born and raised in Harlan County, and for many years has returned to the mountains with food, supplies, flood relief, and other assistance.
Mountain Heart Ministries is new.
The mission isn’t.
105 HOMEBOUND SENIORS
We began by listening.
Conversations with those already serving seniors in Harlan County revealed an immediate and serious need.
Recent funding reductions have affected the resources available to provide food for local seniors. At the same time, many homebound seniors struggle to afford everyday necessities that other assistance programs may not provide.
We don’t believe the answer is to create another organization doing the same work.
The people serving Harlan County seniors already have a kitchen, staff, delivery routes, and relationships with the people they serve.
They know their seniors.
What they need are more resources.
That’s where Mountain Heart Ministries can help.
WHAT WE’RE DOING
Our goal is to help strengthen the system already serving Harlan County seniors while filling some of the gaps that existing programs cannot cover.
FOOD
Mountain Heart Ministries is working to help restore food-purchasing resources lost through recent funding reductions.
Additional food funding can help existing senior services provide more food to the people who need it without creating a duplicate meal program.
EVERYDAY NECESSITIES
Food isn’t the only need.
For someone living on a very limited income, ordinary necessities can become difficult choices.
Mountain Heart Ministries plans to help provide items such as:
• Personal hygiene products
• Incontinence supplies
• Toilet paper and household paper products
• Soap, shampoo and toothpaste
• Wipes and other everyday necessities
• Supplemental shelf-stable foods
• Other identified needs that existing programs cannot provide
SEASONAL NEEDS
Kentucky mountain winters bring additional expenses.
As resources permit, we also hope to provide practical seasonal necessities such as:
• Warm socks
• Winter hats
• Gloves
• Other basic cold-weather items
ONE COUNTY. ONE GOAL.
Our immediate goal is to raise approximately $5,000 each month for the Harlan Senior Project.
Those funds will help provide food and everyday necessities for seniors through local partnerships and established delivery systems.
We’re starting with Harlan County for a reason.
We want to do this well.
Rather than spreading limited resources across a large region, Mountain Heart Ministries intends to build a strong, workable program in Harlan County first.
As funding and partnerships grow, we hope to carry what we learn into other mountain communities where similar needs exist.
WHY HARLAN COUNTY?
Because it’s home.
Our founder grew up in Harlan County and understands both the strength of mountain people and the hardships that can exist behind closed doors.
For years, she has personally returned to Eastern Kentucky with food, supplies and assistance when needs arose.
Mountain Heart Ministries puts an organization around a mission that was already there.
Today, we’re beginning with some of the people who helped build these mountain communities — our seniors.
HELP US FILL THE GAP
A gift to the Harlan Senior Project can help put food on a senior’s table and provide everyday necessities that many of us rarely have to think about.
Every gift matters.
$10 can help provide basic personal-care necessities.
$25 can help provide supplemental food or household essentials.
$50 can help meet several everyday needs for a homebound senior.
$100 can help provide food and necessities for multiple seniors.
Larger gifts can help restore food purchasing, supply groups of seniors, or meet needs across the program.
Donations are used where they can do the most good within the Harlan Senior Project rather than being restricted to the examples above.
BUSINESSES, CHURCHES & COMMUNITY PARTNERS
There are many ways to help besides making an individual donation.
Businesses, churches, civic organizations, foundations, and community partners can help through:
• Financial support
• Sponsorships
• Donated products or supplies
• Employee or group service projects
• Community partnerships
• Introductions to others who may want to help
If your organization would like to become involved with the Harlan Senior Project, we’d love to hear from you.
REAL PEOPLE. REAL NEEDS. RIGHT HERE AT HOME.
Mountain Heart Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Assistance is provided according to need, without regard to religious affiliation or participation.
DONATE TO THE HARLAN SENIOR PROJECT →
MountainHeartMinistries.org
info@mountainheartministries.org
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue;
but in deed and in truth.”
1 John 3:18 (KJV)
Mountain Heart Ministries
Hope for Today • Help for Tomorrow • Faith for the Journey
Helping our Appalachian neighbors one life, one family,
and one community at a time.
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue;
but in deed and in truth.”
1 John 3:18 (KJV)
© 2026 Mountain Heart Ministries. All Rights Reserved.
Mountain Heart Ministries is a Christian nonprofit organization
dedicated to serving individuals and families with compassion,
dignity, and hope.