Thursday, April 2, 2009

Angel Food Ministries

Today we are picking up on our theme of being frugal from last week. This is a post from Rick Aldrich about Angel Food Ministries, how it works, how it can be is used to minister practically to our neighbors and friends and how it will help a family be frugal..........


Another way to save money is by participating in cooperation with others to save money by buying in bulk. This is generally hard to organize, but others have done the hard work for you. There are many co-ops around, but the one I want to introduce you to is called Angel Food Ministries.

You may have already heard a little about it at Temple as there are already a few that are participating in it. What it is, is simple. Every month they have a box of assorted food items available for $30. You place your order early in the month and then on the fourth Saturday, you go to the designated site and pick it up. The items if purchased at a regular food store could cost you from $42 to $78 depending on where you shop. The boxes are filled with enough food to feed a family of four for a week. They also have a box they call the senior or convenience box, This contains 10 prepackaged meals for $28. And, once you have purchased a regular box they have some bonus options that you can purchase as well. You don't get a lot of choice, but there is a variety of items. They purchase in bulk and require orders to be placed to get significant discounts.

Because it has ministry in the name, many think that only certain people qualify to receive the benefits. But that is not true. It is intended to be a ministry to everyone who buys food. Anyone can buy and everyone is encouraged to participate. The more people that participate, the greater potential exists for Angel Food to negotiate discounts and reduce costs that they can turn into better value.

We are also looking for ways to use this as an outreach tool. It could be as easy as letting your friends know about it and help them to participate. It could also be something as meaningful as buying a box for a family in need. Our small group is looking for other ways to help and even got involved with the distribution this past month.

A lot of questions can be answered at the Angel Food Ministries website. You can also see the menu and place an order for the upcoming month.If you have any questions or would like to get involved, just let me know and I'll get you in touch with the right people.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Angel Food is a big help to a lot of people. For $30 you get a box of food worth about $60, and the menu varies each month. It’s not just for lower-income families – anyone and everyone qualifies to participate. It’s really a great system. Local Angel Food host sites are listed at http://www.angelfoodministries.com/hosts.asp.