ANSON, Texas — The Anson Meals on Wheels kitchen will close its doors at the end of the year, but customers will continue to pick up their meals at the Abilene location.

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“I’ve been delivering meals for 10, maybe 15 years, and I hate for it to end,” Anson Meals on Wheels volunteer Teresa Kiker said. “But I think we’re grateful for that because we can count on Abilene to help us.”

Many volunteers said they were sad that the Anson location had to close its doors.

“It’s kind of sad,” Anson Meals on Wheels volunteer Heather Pagan said. “I love volunteering here, I love the people we deliver meals to, Jeannie, she’s the best. It’s heartbreaking that this place is going to close.”

Jeannie Free, manager and cook at Anson’s Meals on Wheels, said the reason the facility closed was because she needed to focus on her health and couldn’t find anyone to take over her position.

“It’s very emotional, this has been here for 30, 40 years,” Free said. “It serves the community. It’s great, but times have changed, donations have decreased. We can’t find anyone who can do the head chef position while I’m out for surgery for six to eight weeks. And that’s very hard to do. Find help, as everyone knows these days.”

Free said someone would pick up all the meals from Abilene and bring them to Anson for volunteers to give to their clients.

“The only thing that’s going to change is that we’re not going to leave the kitchen open where people can come off the streets and eat,” Free said. “But it’s sad, closing after 40 years will be sad at the end of the year.”

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The Anson Meals on Wheels kitchen will officially close on December 31st.