Feeding a family of four for an entire week on $30 may sound like a nearly impossible task, but one local congregation is partnering with a national ministry to make sure that is exactly what can happen.
First Baptist Church in Marshalltown recently started offering boxes of food locally through a program known as Angel Food Ministries. The program is open to anyone who wants to use it.
There are no income or church membership requirements.
"It's not a handout," said Denise Yantis, a member of the church and an organizer for the program locally. "It's just help. That's what I like about it."
Blair Benefield, an associate pastor at the church, said that was also what attracted him to the program. He had been hoping to start an Angel Food Ministry distribution center in Marshalltown for years, but the idea just started to gain traction late last year.
"What I like about it is just the fact that it can help people regardless of their economic situation," Benefield said.
The food system is set up by offering for sale a base box, called a Signature Box, for $30. This is touted as being able to feed a family of four for a week for $30.
A sample of the foods included in the July boxes are: four 6-ounce New York strip steaks, 1.5 pounds of boneless pork roast, 25 ounces of pasta sauce and a pound of pasta, along with shelf stable milk, a dozen eggs and many other products.
Those who have larger families or want some additional variety have the option of purchasing special boxes such as additional meat boxes. The specialty options usually run between $20 and $25.
Yantis said one of the most popular options is the fresh fruit and vegetable boxes, which run $22. All of the food is guaranteed.
"If there is any spoilage, just let us know and they will make up for it the next month," Yantis said.
In order to purchase one of the specials, a Signature Box purchase is required.
Two options are available that do not require a Signature Box purchase. Those are the Senior/Convenience Boxes, which run $28 and the allergen-free box, which is $25.
The Senior/Convenience Boxes are marketed as providing 10 nutritionally-balanced meals for those who need quick preparation.
Food has to be ordered by a certain deadline each month, and is available for pickup at First Baptist Church the next Saturday morning.
Pickup is an efficient process where people come with boxes and laundry baskets for their food. They sign in, then go around a table to pick up the items.
"It's fun - the distribution days," Yantis said. "It's a ball."
In most cases, people can be in and out with a week's worth of food in less than 10 minutes.
Currently, the church is working on ways to take the program even further, even offering delivery, but that's not available yet.
"We'd like to expand it," Yantis added. "We just don't know how to do that right now with the amount of help we have."
For more information on the program, contact First Baptist Church at 641-753-3528.
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Contact Ken Black at 641-753-6611 or kblack@timesrepublican.com
