Published: June 25, 2007 08:24 am      

Local ministry helps put low-cost food on tables

Sunday, June 24, 2007 — There is a sign at a church on Concord Road west of Albemarle, “Angel Food Ministry.”

No, they are not selling cake. Nor are they offering manna free to the public.

They aren’t actually “selling” anything. Nor are they giving it away.

What the people at Full Gospel Mission Church are doing is helping people put food on the table by acting as agents between people in the community and a food distribution center.

Those who participate in the ministry “order” a menu of food by phone from a monthly special order sheet. The menu is not the same each month, but those taking part take what is listed. Everybody gets the same foods. Based on the number of orders, representatives of the church go the distribution center, buy the food, come back and sort it on tables in the fellowship hall. The food is picked up by the family that placed the order. The food is at the church on the last Saturday of the month and must be picked up that morning.

People bring boxes, baskets or whatever containers they have, go around the tables and fill the containers with their allotments of food.

They pay $25. They get $75 worth of food.

After purchasing the initial box they can order meat specials. This is a portion of frozen meats, also at a fraction of the cost at the grocery store.

In June the grocery list included a 2-pound Salisbury steak dinner, 2 pounds of St. Louis ribs, 2 pounds of chicken tenders, 18 ounces of manicotti, 2 pounds of breaded frying chicken, 4 ounces of country fried beef steaks, 6.5 ounces of lasagna hamburger dinner, 7.5 ounces of ranch and bacon pasta salad, 16 ounces of dry pinto beans, 16 ounces of sliced frozen carrots, 16 ounces of frozen corn, 24 ounces of steak cut French fries, 8 ounces of corn muffin mix, a pound of white rice, 14 ounces of peanut butter, a 10 ounce package of waffles and one dessert item.

Members of the congregation volunteer their time and the church provides the facilities for the Angel Food Ministry.

There is no profit in the ministry as the money received goes to pay for the food and the expense of going to Monroe to the distribution site. For every 50 boxes that are filled, enough food is left over to fill a 51st box. That box is then given to some family that may not have the funds for a box due to some hardship.

Also, if there is any money left over, it is used to buy food for someone who can’t afford a box.

Anyone wishing to donate $25 for a box of food for a needy family may do so. Simply call or send a check made out to Full Gospel Mission Church and put Angel Food Ministry at the bottom.

The ministry is open to the public. There are no qualifications to meet.

“I talked to Sam Wilson (pastor at Faith Free Will Baptist Church) about it, said Pastor Mitchell Cook, “and he wanted to know who can get in on it. I told him ‘If you’re breathing, you can get in on it.’ People from all walks of life are eligible, the rich, poor, whatever.”

The church bought two new deep freezers and paid for them to store frozen foods. The Huntin’ and Fishin’ Club bought another one.

“We want to be a blessing to our community. When they come they just have to come in. If they can’t come in, we will go to the car and take it to them.

“It is a lot of hard work but rewarding work. We have a lot of senior citizens on fixed incomes and certain obligations they have to meet. If someone orders it and doesn’t show up, we give it to a needy family.

“We are affiliated with Angel Food out of Atlanta They reimburse us $1 for every box and we take that money and buy more boxes of food to give to someone in need. People come from Salisbury, Rockwell, Concord.

“I want to to help people and be a blessing to my community. ”

The contact person is Shirley Smith and the number to call is (704) 985-1116. The average number participating in this program each month is 57. The high one month was 86 orders.

Smith said she likes doing it because she likes helping people. “This is a way to supply a box of food at a low cost.

“It is for everybody, not particularly the poor or those on food stamps. It is for anybody.”

Smith had been at another church where there was such a ministry. When she came to Full Gospel, she wanted to do something to help and talked to Cook. They decided this was a mission they wanted to do. They have been doing it a year now.

“It is an organization to help people and the community,” said Cook. “It’s about being a blessing; it’s about giving back.”