Angel Food Ministries: A bargain and a blessing

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I’ve heard a lot about Angel Food Ministries, a non-profit organization that provides grocery relief to families in 35 states, but I never took advantage of it because there wasn’t a pick-up site in Waukesha County.

I recently posted a comment on Get Rich Slowly with tips to help Allen, who just got laid off. In my comment, I mentioned the program and checked out whether or not it was available in his city of Madison. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that it’s not in Madison yet — but there’s a pick-up site at Lake Country Family Church in Delafield!

Here’s how it works, from the Angel Food site [my own emphasis added]:

Angel Food is available in a quantity that can fit into a medium-sized box at $30 per unit. Each month’s menu consists of both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $60. Comparison shopping has been done across the country in various communities using a wide range of retail grocery stores and has resulted in the same food items costing from between $42 and $78.

Generally, one unit of food assists in feeding a family of four for about one week or a single senior citizen for almost a month. The food is all the same high quality one could purchase at a grocery store. There are no second-hand items, no damaged or out-dated goods, no dented cans without labels, no day-old breads and no produce that is almost too ripe.

Also offered are specialty boxes such as steaks, chicken and pork. Many participants in this bonus program appreciate the expanded choices. Additionally, there is no limit to the number of units or bonus foods an individual can receive, and there are no applications to complete or qualifications to which participants must adhere. Angel Food Ministries also participates in the U.S. Food Stamp program, using the Off-Line Food Stamp Voucher system.

It should be noted that each food order comes with a “salvation tract” that spreads the gospel of Christ. I am not a religious person, and I usually shy away from anything that overtly preaches any belief or religion. But if I were having a hard time feeding my kids, you can bet your boots that I’d be accepting that food — and its religious tracts — with gratitude.

The menus: Standard, Senior/Convenience, Allergen-Free & Seafood

May’s standard menu includes:

• 2.5 lbs. chopped beef steaks
• 5 lbs. leg quarters
• 2 lbs. chicken and cornbread stuffing casserole (ready to cook)
• 28 oz. salisbury steak dinner entree
• 1 lb. boneless pork chops
• 1 lb. corn dogs
• 12 oz. deli-sliced ham
• 5 oz. chunk light tuna in water
• 32 oz. french fries
• 1 lb. sweet corn
• 15 oz. Musselman’s applesauce
• 15 oz. pears
• 8 oz. dinner roll mix
• 7.5 oz. macaroni and cheese
• 32 oz. shelf-stable milk
• 1 dozen eggs
• Dessert

The Senior/Convenience box includes 10 fully cooked, nutritionally balanced meals. The one I’m really excited about is the Allergen-Free box, which is processed to eliminate the top eight serious allergens: peanuts, soybeans, milk, eggs, fish, crustacea, tree nuts and gluten. I went through a gluten-free phase, and I can tell you that gluten-free food is hard to find and expensive. This box sounds like a great way to help round out an allergen-free diet. The Seafood box contains perch, tilapia and haddock.

You can also add on special boxes (such as fruits and veggies or fajitas) for an extra charge. The standard box runs a little thin on fresh produce, but it sounds like the fruits and veggies box could easily fill that void. The “latin flavors” box even includes avocados and key limes!

As I (and many others) told Allen on Get Rich Slowly, there is no shame in losing a job or needing help. However, applying for government assistance can be challenging for many people. Angel Food Ministries can help bridge that gap — or just offer a less expensive way to stock up on groceries. Or, if you’re not a fan of grocery shopping, it’s just an easy way to cut out all that walking through the aisles!

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