When you are out of work, either for a short time or longer time, one of the main struggles is keeping your family fed on a limited budget. Unemployment benefits only go so far, and sometimes the requirements for public assistance can be a challenge. There is a whole new group of people often referred to as “the working poor”. For those of us in this group, the problem is that we don't qualify for most need based assistance, but we are still having trouble making ends meet.
This is where Angel Food Ministries can help. Angel Food Ministries work with local non-profit organizations and churches across the country to provide low cost food for families. They are not affiliated with any particular religion or denomination, and do not have any income requirements of forms to fill out. You don't have to wait in a charity line or feel like you are taking a hand out.
How it works is that you find a local distribution center in your area and contact them to find out when their order and pick up dates are (there are over 25 sites in the great Philadelphia area, so there is sure to be a location near you) contact them to place an order for their food boxes. The boxes of food are $30 and they also have several other add on packages that can be purchased for a small additional fee. The food they offer is high quality, restaurant grade meat and produce, never day old, second hand or low grade surplus. According to their website, they offer $60 of food for $30 by working with suppliers to buy in bulk and then they have volunteers that split the food up into smaller boxes, passing the savings along to their customers. Although this is a low cost food service, they are not a charity, nor do they expect only the poor to participate. They encourage people that are not in the midst of financial hardship to purchase food from them and pass along a portion of the savings by donating boxes to people who can't afford them. The more boxes each site sells, the better the offerings become because Angel Foods can then buy in even larger quantities.
Here is a sample menu for what is in one $30 box-
4 lb. IQF Leg Quarters
4 oz. Beef Back Ribs
1 lb. 80/20 Lean Ground Beef
2 lb. Breaded Chicken Tenders
1.5 lb. Bone in Pork Chops (4 x 6oz.)
1 lb. Ground Turkey
18 oz. Stuffed Manicotti (Cheese)
12 oz. Smoked Sausage
Betty Crocker Seasoned Potatoes
7 oz. Cheeseburger Dinner
16 oz. Green Beans
16 oz. Baby Carrots
2 lb. Onions
1 lb. Pinto Beans
1 lb. Rice
7 oz. Blueberry Muffin Mix
10 ct. Homestyle Waffles
Dessert Item
All of that for $30? Amazing. In addition to the food box, they also have meat packages, month of after school snack packs and veggie packs available for an additional fee. The site locations are also able to accept food stamps, which makes it a blessing in a box for anyone who is struggling to keep food on the table. For those who aren't struggling as hard, consider donating food boxes to help out families that can't afford to purchase them.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a freelance writer and regular contributor to several websites and other publications, a volunteer, a full time mom and an active job seeker.
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