Angel Food Feeds the Community

Budgeting in a tight economy sometimes means families have to sacrifice quality for price.  And sometimes that compromise has to take place in the super market.

Even on SNAP — the state's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — some families are struggling to pay for affordable, quality food. As a partial solution to the problem, one Southbury church, St. James Lutheran on Peter Road, has recently initiated a new program called Angel Food Ministries.

The service allows people to buy a combination package of food at a discount; one that is designed to supply a person for a long period of time.  For example, one item, The Signature Box, is designed to feed a family of four for a week.

"A senior citizen could use this box for the better part of a month," said St. James' pastor, the Rev. Scott Nessel. "That box costs $30, but if you went to a grocery store and purchased the same stuff it would be $42 to $78…This month's Signature box included a chicken, a meat loaf, two pounds of meat lasagna, one pound of group beef, hamburger patties, a pizza, hotdogs, frozen vegetables, shelf-stable milk, one dozen eggs and a dessert."

Other choices include ten frozen meals for $28, a five pound allergen free box, a box of after-school snacks for $24, a $16 after school fruit box, special grill boxes, seafood and fresh food and vegetable boxes.

"They try to cater to a large variety of tastes and interests," said Nessel. "My family and I do it pretty much every month. A couple families in our church have been ordering for over a year."

St. James Lutheran Church has been a distribution center for the past five months, and every month their client list has grown. How does it work? Anyone can order as many boxes as they like (food stamps are accepted). The food is shipped to a warehouse in Waterbury. Church members pick it up and distribute food in the parking lot of the church.

"The Southbury Social Services client list is larger than it has ever been," said Nessel. "And our demographic is just right with the mix of the Heritage Village population and the town's young families. This time and place is just perfect and every month our program grows."

Angel Food Ministries started in Monroe, Georgia in 1994 as a way to help local families. Since that time it has grown into a huge operation with multiple sites in 34 states providing food to over 500,000 families. Unlike other food assistance programs, Angel Food is distributed without question to anyone who wants to participate.

"It has been a blessing," said Nessel. "When I tell people there is no income criteria, they are so relieved."

For every box that is ordered through St. James, one dollar is donated to the church's Outreach Fund. Parishioners are involved in many initiatives including local food and fuel banks; Southbury Faith in Action (SoFIA), the Tour deTribury, relief efforts in Haiti, AmeriCares Homefront, (now just called Homefront),Operation Christmas Child, and the Waterbury Interfaith Refugee Ministry. The church also tries to order a few boxes of Angel Food each month to donate to the Southbury Food Bank, or to a family in need.

Anybody can visit the website, www.angelfoodministries.com , and make selections among fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen meals and meats, and other special packages. Orders can be done through the website, or by calling the church at 203-264-6446. The July deadline for ordering on site is July 22, the online deadline is July 25 at 11:59 pm. and pick up, at St. James Church, 111 Peter Road, Southbury, is July 31 from 10 to 11 a.m.

The food is good quality and fresh, Nessel said. The program is open to the public and there are distribution sites in many other Connecticut towns (available on the website).