Cedar Creek UMC becomes host site for
Angel Food Ministries grocery effort

By Joe Gambino
Host Site Director, Cedar Creek UMC
The Angel Food Ministries began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Ga., and has grown to serve many thousands of families every month across 32 states. Nearly 2 million families were fed last year!
This nonprofit, nondenominational ministry has enabled Cedar Creek UMC to reach out to the community by providing low-cost grocery relief to anyone desiring to save money and enjoy high-quality food items.
What a ministry! Angel Food crosses denominational lines and has spread the good news of Christ through salvation tracts and information about our own church that are placed in each food order. Angel Food also gives churches an effective outreach to the community to meet real needs in a genuine way—oftentimes drawing new participants and visitors into the mission at hand.
Anyone interested can contact our team at Cedar Creek UMC for more information or visit the Web site at www.angelfoodministries.com.
Our body of Christ has overwhelmed us with its spirit of volunteering time. Since our start in September 2006, we have reached out to hundreds of families in our community. Church members have generously donated money toward food purchases, which will be donated to more needy families that we have identified.
The program works like this: Food sales and distribution are handled by church host sites. Orders and payments are collected by the host sites during the first part of each month. After the cutoff date, orders are then turned in to the Angel Food Ministries’ main office in Georgia.
On a predetermined date, the food arrives on a Saturday and is made available for distribution to all families who have ordered. This distribution is always done at the same time of day so our families get used to the time schedule. At Cedar Creek UMC, we distribute between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Angel Food groceries are sold in quantities that fit into a medium-to-large-large sized box at $25 per unit. Each month’s menu is different from the previous month and consists of both fresh and frozen items. Average retail value is between $42 and $78.
Typically, one food unit will assist in feeding a family of four for about one week. All food items are of the same high quality that people could purchase at a grocery store.
Also offered are specialty boxes, which include steaks, chicken, pork and similar items. There is no limit to the number of units or bonus foods an individual can purchase. Angel Food Ministries, like all other retail stores, participates in the U.S. Food Stamp program.
Our pastor, the Rev. Stan Whites, is carrying the flag as we start our relationship with Angel Food Ministries. We just became an official host site.
Joe and Geri Gambino are our host site directors and are assisted by Robin Telle, Nancy Laundy, Bea Schipper, Patricia New and our church Lay Leader Sue Kratochvil.