News

By Sherry Long slong@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

All churches offer prayers, encouragement and support.

click image to enlarge

Wendy Ferrara of Swoyersville helps Bruce Johnson of Avoca get food at the First Assembly of God Church’s Angel Food Ministries program on Saturday.

Jonathan J. Juka/For Times Leader

On the web

• Angel Food Ministries Web site

Select images available for purchase in the
Times Leader Photo Store

Some churches also use food to minister to people in the community.

A few local churches, including the First Assembly of God in Wilkes-Barre, are host sites that sell restaurant-quality food to people at a reduced cost through the Angel Food Ministries, a national non-profit food distribution program.

People can purchase a medium-sized box with a variety of frozen vegetables, meat and canned food valued at $65 for $30 through the program -- regardless of economic background or financial need. Menus change monthly.

First Assembly host site director Joyce Costello said the church began offering the program in July, serving 65 families the first month; 94 families ordered boxes for November.

“Our church is really community-minded,” Costello said. “We just want to reach out to the people in the community to show them we love them,” Costello said.

For the first time since the ministry was founded in 1994, it offered Thanksgiving boxes. It also is making Christmas boxes available – complete with a 7-pound hen, smoked ham, dressing, gravy mix, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls and dessert.

Angel Food Ministries co-founder Joe Wingo developed the idea to offer special holiday boxes because of the tough economic times.

“With the economy the way it is he just wanted everyone to have a good holiday meal,” said Michelle Lindsey, Wingo’s assistant.

The Thanksgiving boxes were distributed the weekend before Thanksgiving. Orders for Christmas boxes will be taken through the first week in December. People interested in purchasing the boxes may contact a host church for the exact deadline. Orders must be pre-paid. Participating churches accept cash, food stamps or money orders, but not personal checks.

Churches receive $1 for each box sold and may use the money any way it wishes.

Country Alliance Church in Clarks Summit uses the money to help the church break even with its distribution expenses since it began offering the ministry 16 months ago.

To learn more about the program or to view the December menu, go to www.timesleader.com for a link to the Angel Food Ministry Web site

Participating churches

Luzerne County:

Dallas – New Life Community Church 639-5433

Hunlock Creek – Oakdale United Methodist Church 256-7875

Wilkes-Barre – First Assembly of God 829-0989

Lackawanna County:

Clarks Summit - Country Alliance Church 587-2885

Columbia County:

Benton – Benton United Methodist Church 925-2417

Millville – Manna Ministries 764-1093