Volunteers took a little time away from their families on Christmas to help bring some food and cheer to local seniors.
Every Christmas, volunteers at Mobile Meals Kitchen deliver around 480 hot meals to homebound seniors in Knox County who have no other family to celebrate with.
LINK: Click to donate meals
Kitchen staff and volunteers loaded up their cars with insulated containers full of hot meals to deliver on more than 60 meals routes in the area. Mobile Meals said they will head home to their families to enjoy Christmas once the seniors are all served.
Volunteer Kim Womack has worked with Mobile Meals for a decade and says a lot of people depend on them for more than just a hot meal.
"Today is a special day for a lot of people, but there also a lot of people who don't have anyone to talk to," Womack said.
Womack said volunteers also make sure seniors have everything they need for wellness, from heating to electricity.
Volunteer Kristen Macintosh has volunteered for many years with her family, saying the experience is rewarding.
"I was raised in a home where we always gave back on the holidays, especially Christmas," she said. "We get a lot of surprised faces of 'I didn't think anybody was coming to see me today... I didn't think I was going to get to eat today,' because they don't realize that Mobile Meals still brings them something on Christmas."
Macintosh said she hopes others will help share the love they've received to others in need.
"Just look around your community. There are different ways to volunteer in this community. Knoxville is a big city -- they need a lot of love and a lot of help," she said.