With the focus being on penny pinching so much lately I thought it would be prudent for me to share a wonderful resource that is available in 35 states across the nation. This is an amazing food program that is open to anyone regardless of income. Angel Food Ministries was started in 1994 by Pastors Joe and Linda Wingo in Monroe, GA, and serves over 500,000 families monthly through their food distribution program.
Each month Angel Food Ministries offers a new menu to choose from. Orders are placed and paid for ahead of time and picked up at a local host site; usually a church, school, outreach center, or organization. Once you've determined your local host site, you simply contact them to place your order. They even accept Food Stamps (EBT).
With each order you will receive a copy of Servant Magazine. This magazine gives you up to date information about Angel Food Ministries, inspirational articles, the next month's menu, and reports from various host sites across the nation. You will also find useful recipes on their website for inspiration while using the food you purchase. For those of you that enjoy cooking and creating in the kitchen, you can even submit your favorite recipes to share with fellow participants or those simply visiting the website.
This is a wonderful resource for those on a fixed income, including senior citizens. There is a special menu designed especially for seniors which is comprised of complete meal choices. The menu includes 10 fully cooked meals that are nutritionally balanced, complete, and ready to heat and serve.
If you are vegetarian or vegan, this may not work for you since the main package always has meat in it. However, if you have a carnivorous friend you can benefit as well. Supplemental packages are available with the purchase of a main package. So, your friend could benefit from purchasing the main package, and you could pay for the addition of the produce package. You cannot beat the pricing!
Special holiday packages are available as well. They special design supplemental packages for the holidays. Traditional food items are included at a tremendously discounted price compared to local grocery store prices.
Just as Angel Food Ministries helps meet the needs of the general public, they have needs of their own. Volunteer opportunities abound. Maybe your church or organization would like to be a host site, or maybe your group is looking for a worth while cause to support via donations, fundraising, or actual volunteer time. Angel Food Ministries can benefit from your skills and talents. This is a wonderful organization and well worth exploring as a customer or a volunteer. You may even find a job opening!
2 comments:
I acknowledge that the homeless in this country are at a constant battle against hunger. What I find hard to believe is that other people in our communities can't obtain enough to eat. With gov't programs and food stamps most of them have little or no problem filling the pantry. Their problem is more of a quality of life struggle.
Firstly, this is has nothing to do with being homeless, poor, or otherwise. This is a service available to anyone that would like to spend their money more wisely. Personally, we do not use it due to the high meat content of the main package. We are primarily vegetarian. However, those that do eat meat as part of their diet can drastically reduce their food expense by participating in this ministry. What could possibly be wrong with saving money on food? What could possibly be wrong with trying to improve your quality of life?
Also, government programs may not be as accessible as you may think. I personally know a couple that has been denied desperately needed assistance due to owning too many vehicles. They have three. One is a hunk of junk that is beyond help and does not run. The other two the husband desperately tries to keep running in order to get his wife back and forth to doctor appointments that they cannot afford and get refills on prescriptions that they cannot afford. These are not new vehicles with payments. They are old vehicles in disrepair. She is on disability, and he lost his job due to cut backs. No severance, no pension, no insurance, no nothing.
Things do happen in people's lives that make it very difficult to survive. Everyone's circumstances are different. We all have our own story. Not to mention that food stamps do not provide enough food to survive on for a month. They are a supplement, period.
Anyway, again, this is not something for the homeless or poverty stricken alone. This is for everyone that would like to spend less on food. I think that is a very good thing.
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