I just ordered some food from Angel food ministries.

[wartrace]

http://www.angelfoodministries.com/

I have been looking for ways to save money during my upcoming unemployment and found angel food ministries. It is a buying co-op for food with some pretty good deals. I won't be able to report back on the quality until next month but it seems as if they have some well rounded meals available for a reasonable cost. They have prepared meals for 2.80 each (10 per order).

If times are tight for you I would suggest looking into this.

[shraby]

1. I know some who have used it and they haven't had

any complaints.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. K&R! Thanks for posting this - I will pass it on nt

[ChazII]

3. K&R

I have friends in MO who have had to use this and they have had no complaints.

[SecularMotion]

4. They have been discussed before

You may want to read this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5207809

[formercia]

5. Angel Food Ministries loaned $1.1M to family members

Angel Food Ministries loaned $1.1M to family members

By CHRISTOPHER QUINN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Monday, February 16, 2009

Angel Food Ministries, the Georgia nonprofit started to help struggling families with food costs, made more than $453,000 in unsecured loans in 2007 to formerly high-paid family members running the organization. It brought the total of their loans to more than $1.1 million over a two-year period.

Internal Revenue Service documents show that Joe Wingo, his wife, Linda, and sons Wesley and Andrew together earned $402,097 in 2007, down from $2.1 million in 2006.

http://www.ajc.com/living/content/metro/stories/2009/02/16/angel_food_ministries.html?cxntlid=inform_artr

Buyer beware.

[Warpy]

11. It's a good charity with a leader who couldn't keep his hands

out of the till. The thing has since been resolved and Wingo has largely been removed.

This is more of a concern to donors (myself, indirectly) than to recipients.

It remains one of the better charity organizations, especially with the scumbag at the top disciplined. It's mostly supported by recipients and works by bypassing all the middlemen taking profits. Volunteers do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Recipients get more food than they would paying retail.

I'll continue to support it, especially with the Wingo characters gone.

[SidDithers]

6. Related thread from earlier this month...

Angel Food Ministries has been raided by the FBI


Sid

[RB TexLa]

7. I know a guy who volunteers with the program with his church

He's a fundy, not really right wing. He says their numbers are way up on people using it and he's never gotten a complaint. He actually delivers a lot of the packages for elderly folks.

It is a good deal on food. From what he has told me there will probably be some religious material with it, but hey you know your picking it up at a church. The guy I know says the only thing he says about God or Jesus without being asked by people buying is "God bless you," which he says to everyone anyway. :)

One site I would recommend for grocery shopping is couponmom. You simply put the date on coupon packages from the mail or Sunday paper save them and go to their deals by state and select the store you are going to shop at and it will tell you the best deals using your coupons and the stores sales. By the way that is the program people sell you for $20 to save 75% on your groceries, for free.

[OKNancy]

8. nasty scammers and cheaters

is what they are. Oh, and the food is nasty

[earth mom]

9. I thought they shut those jerks down. They are a VERY shady enterprise.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=5207809

[Warpy]

12. The leader was a bastard. The charity itself is a good one

and the leader has since been removed.

This is one I have no trouble supporting.

[earth mom]

13. I still don't trust it. But then, I don't trust most charities after I saw what happened

with Katrina. :yoiks:

I'd rather give money directly to people or participate in food drives like the Post Office conducts.

[Warpy]

14. Second Harvest is also good

and I suggest you direct any extra funds you have there. They are a clearinghouse for food banks around the country.

Food banks can generally turn $1.00 into $1.70 of food, retail.

Angel Ministries is one of the good food charities because it's largely supported by the people who buy the food along with volunteerism at participating churches. It's just unfortunate that the leader was skimming contributions off the top.

He's gone so there should be little reservation about being a donor to the charity and none whatsoever about being a recipient.

[noamnety]

10. I guess it depends where you live

but around here, that's overpriced.

Just looking at the kroger ad online, for example, I could get:

dozen eggs: $1
sweet potatoes: $0.69/lb
regular potatoes: $.30/lb
boneless pork roast $2.00/lb
chicken legs: $0.59/lb
bread: $1 per loaf
oranges: $0.72/lb
large cantaloupes: $1.88
pears: $1/lb

A few stores around here have cabbage at $0.25/lb, and cauliflower's been about $1 a head on sale

A cheap filling meal could be:
half pound of chicken legs: $0.30
a potato: $0.15
some cabbage: $0.10
a quarter of a cantaloupe: $.45
Total: $1.00

-------------
I tend to shop at smaller local markets, but when I find something like chicken at that price I stock up and fill the freezer. In addition to getting it at a good price, it also has a psychological effect on me that keeps me from buying other stuff in the future - if I see steak and want it, but it's $5/lb, I stop and think about how I could have that one pound of steak, or have nine pounds of chicken for that five dollars.

[C......N......C]

15. Bought some also.

A lot of food for the money.