It seems like everybody’s looking for new ways to pinch a penny and save a buck in the midst of this recession.
To help make lives a little easier and keep stomachs full, New Beginnings Baptist Church in Lake Orion (985 N. Lapeer) and the Oxford Free Methodist Church (790 S. Lapeer Rd.) are offering local residents, regardless of income, a way to purchase enough food to feed a family of four for an entire week yet spend only $30.
‘The way the job market is going, groceries are really important,? said Tim Chappell, pastor at New Beginnings. ‘I think it’s what Jesus would do, to reach out to the community and help people. Our goal is that everyone in Orion and Oxford will have food on their table.?
While the Oxford church doesn’t accept food stamps, New Beginnings does.
‘We know there’s a lot of people that accepting the food stamps will help,? Chappell said.
The churches are working to order groceries on a monthly basis from Angel Food Ministries Georgia (between Atlanta and Athens), Angel Food Ministries purchases quality food from first-rate suppliers each month. It then passes on the volume discounts it receives to consumers.
Each month, customers can buy a ‘regular box? of groceries, consisting of enough fresh and frozen food items to feed a family of four for a week, for only $30. The menu changes on a monthly basis and people can order as many boxes as they want.
‘It’s open to anybody who wants to cut the cost of their grocery bill,? noted Rita Hopkins, the church secretary at Free Methodist who takes orders for the food program.
The average retail value of each regular box is approximately $60 to $65. Comparison shopping done across the country has resulted in the same food items costing between $42 and $78, according to www.angelfood
ministries.com.
Under this program, a family of four could order an entire month’s worth of groceries for only $120. ‘They encourage participants to apply the money they save to help someone else,? said Michael Alexander, senior pastor at Oxford Free Methodist.
Those who automatically equate discounted food with inferior food needn’t fear ordering.
‘It’s the same top quality food that you’d find on the grocery store shelf,? Alexander noted.
Angel Food Ministries does not purchase or sell any secondhand items, damaged or outdated goods, dented cans without labels, day-old breads or produce that’s almost too ripe. Each month the organization delivers high quality groceries to approximately 500,000 families across 35 states.
For senior citizens, single folks and people on the go, Angel Food Ministries offers a ‘convenience box? consisting of 10 ‘perfectly seasoned, nutritionally balanced, fully-cooked meals.? All people need to do is heat and serve.
For the month of February, these meals range from pot roast and gravy with vegetables, diced potatoes and green peas to meatballs and shell pasta with creamy alfredo sauce, green bean casserole and a squash medley.
In addition to the regular and convenience boxes, the program offers a variety of ever-changing monthly specials ranging from bulk packages of meat to boxes of assorted fruits and vegetables.
In order to purchase the specials, customers must first buy at least one of the regular or convenience boxes.
Although the program is open to anyone, the churches have decided to participate as an outreach to local people and families who are struggling financially.
‘Right now, with Oakland County and Michigan the way it is, we’re really trying to reach out to the community,? said Doyle Owens, the pastor’s assistant in Lake Orion. ‘We want to help people. That’s what the Bible tells us.?
For more information about the food program or to obtain a menu in Oxford, call (248) 628-1203.
For information about the program at New Beginnings in Lake Orion, call (248) 814-0837.
~John Counts contributed to this story