One of the drawbacks of what I do with this site is that I now seem to live in my own "frugal bubble". I hear or read someone talking about a program or organization and just assume that everyone else in the world knows about it.
Today I was talking to a woman from the St. Vincent DePaul chapter at my church and I mentioned Angel Food Ministries and was shocked that she hadn't heard about it.....because I live in my little bubble! Time to pop the bubble!
So what is Angel Food Ministries?
Simply put, it is a place where you can go and get enough food to help feed a family of 4 for a week for only $30. You can even pay for your box of food using Food Stamps. The estimated retail value of each box is $60 and you do have the ability to add on other packages (more produce, more meat, etc). Box pickups are once a month. Orders are taken at the beginning of each month, with pickup being towards the end of the month. Check with your local pickup site for exact dates.
To help you stretch the value of your box, please visit Hillbilly Housewife, where she provides recipes and an additional shopping list to help you stretch your box out to a full month of dinners! Hillbilly Housewife is very frugal, so rest assured that her recipes and shopping list are designed to give you the most bang for your buck!
If you need to drastically reduce your costs, Angel Food Ministries may be a good place to help you get started! Click here to find a pickup location near you. Orders for the end-of-February pickup are being taken now
Mary
I agree and have to put a plug in here too because I have also been a big advocate for both Angel Food Ministries and Hillybilly Housewife's blog since starting my blog. My husband and I are on a fixed income and for the most part the largest percentage of our household food comes from the AFM basic boxes and specials that they offer each month. 99% of the meat we get comes from AFM monthly specials, and the holiday specials are fantastic! Senior boxes are available too if you have an elderly parent or neighbor that you are concerned may not be eating well. We've been buying AFM boxes for about a year now and it has really helped to cut back on our food budget. AFM is a real godsend for us. If you are interested, please don't view it as a charity or a government food program, because it isn't. There are no requirements to meet, income or otherwise, and you can purchase as many boxes as you need for your family, or you can purchase them for a family in need. There is no reason to feel embarrassed, or awkward, because really it is just like purchasing from a co-op and there are always people from all walks of life picking up their boxes each month. Check it out!
Heidi @ GGIP
One day I am going to get it together and try a box one month and see what I think. I think it is great that you are spreading the word about this ministry. It really is a great idea.
Mindi
May: thanks for the information! I really like the comparison to a co-op.
Heidi: I keep saying the same thing!
I mentioned it on this site about 6 months ago and at the time I used the locator there were 2 other locations near me. I doubt that need has reduced because I know that our St. Vincent De Paul has been geting more and more families the past few months. If anyone reading this is active in their church and in search of a new ministry, please consider applying for their chucrch to be a host site!
Stacey
I've never used the Angel Food Ministry were I live, but my mom has gotten me a few boxes from hers when we visit. My mom's church is a host site and the helpers arrive at 4:00am to unpack the truck and sort everyone's order. Everything that I've gotten from them has been great. A few things we didn't use and gave to our church's food pantry.
Trish
Thanks for sharing. I've heard of this organization before, but never blogged about it. I think I will link to you, it's definitely that could be very helpful to people. Thanks again!
calina
Our church is a pickup for Angel food. Most everyone there has great things to say about the program, so I thought we'd try it. I have to say I was disappointed. I bought the basic package in September. IMHO, I found the food to have no nutritional value. It was full of breading, MSG, and other preservatives. Other than the time I saved in getting this, I don't think it really was a $$$ saver. I think you could spend about the same or better coupon shopping and/or going to aldi or save-a-lot.
The fruit & veggie box was a decent deal. I think it was $19, but you have to buy the regular or senior box to get this one.
Our family will not be trying that again. We'll keep our grocery budget down by utilizing homemade broths for soups, beans, and rice.
Renee
Our family bought our first AFM box this month and cant wait to try it. A friend of mine swears by it.