While browsing a friend's church's website to find out when their alternative gift fair will be held this year, I came across information about a program they offer called Angel Food Ministries. For $28, including tax, anyone can get a big box of food. In December this buys: 4 5oz. ribeye steaks, a 2lb. lasagna, 2lb. of chicken breast, 1 lb. honey roasted pork sausage, 1 lb. chicken breast fajitas, 1 lb. meatballs, 1 lb. hot dogs, 3 lb. fresh apples, 8 oz. biscuit mix, 1 lb. mixed veggies, 1 lb. cut corn. 1 lb. sliced carrots, 14 oz. chicken broth, 24 oz. hashbrowns, 6.5 oz. hamburger dinner, 10 waffles, and one desert item. It isn't the healthiest assortment of foods know to man, but it isn't terrible either. They take food stamps as well as cash and checks.
The information sheet stresses that anyone may order as many boxes as desired and that ordering more doesn't take food away from someone else. They buy the items once the orders are in, and the $28 covers the cost of all of the food. They save a lot by buying directly and in bulk. A friend of mine has bought food from them before, and it helped keep her and her husband going after her parents decided to disown her (A long story, they are back on speaking terms with her parents, but my friends are still surviving on slightly more than minimum wage and some student loans).
I'm considering trying it. It's more meat than I generally eat in month, but it should keep well in the freezer. If I decide to do this regularly, I'd gladly volunteer to help out on distribution day. Can anyone think of a major downside to signing up for December's food shipment?
3 comments:
It sounds good to me! More meat than I eat, too, but since meat can be frozen it sounds good. I'd probably do it as an every other month thing. And then find ways to make the meat stretch that long--augmenting recipes with beans, rice, and some veggies.
Is there any requirement to sit through a religious message that you aren't interested in?
If not and you have freezer space, sounds like a great deal to me.
I don't think they'll try to evangelize while distributing food; they seem to prefer setting a good example and leaving it at that. They aren't a church that really proselytizes much, even going so far as to offer a course for their teenagers on how to handle fundamentalist friends who insist that Episcopalians aren't real Christians and will burn in hell.
On the whole, I like their church and the priest. I wouldn't go somewhere with a religious message I'm not comfortable with, which made growing up in my small town a bit of a challenge, but that's another story entirely.
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