Cars and trucks lined West 24th Avenue Saturday morning, while drivers waited for volunteers to unload box after box of name-brand foods from a massive truck parked at the Potter-Beath Activity Center.
Ice pellets pinged onto project director Andrea Ceretti’s clipboard and stuck there as she marked off each box as it slid from the truck, down a rolled conveyor that turned at a 90-degree angle to roll across the table and into the waiting arms of a volunteer.
“Pork roasts! Peanut butter! Chicken breasts!” voices at the conveyor belt called out, to identify the boxed products headed toward volunteers waiting at the end of the tables.
In a bucket brigade of food, about 55 men and women handed off the boxes, which were sorted and stacked according to contents.
It was Angel Food Ministries Day at the First Church of the Nazarene.
Angel Food distribution began here in December, Ceretti said, when members rented a U-Haul trailer at a reduced rate and headed to Topeka at 5 a.m. to pick up the first order to fill boxes for 234 people. They brought it to Emporia for unloading and distribution.
This month, with more than 520 orders, the Nazarene venue qualified for delivery by the regional distribution truck.
“That was one reason we were just thrilled when we found out we were getting our own semi,” Ceretti said.
The Angel Food premise is a simple one, the Rev. Mark Hensen said.
“In the Scriptures, we’re supposed to feed the hungry ... and that’s what we’re doing here,” he said.
For $25, participants purchase a box of food that contains meats, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables and staple items valued at approximately $65 to $75.
Each food box on Saturday contained six bacon-wrapped beef filets; two pounds of boneless pork roast; one fully cooked frying chicken; one salisbury steak entree; two pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast; one pound of meatballs; one pound of bean soup mix; pasta sauce and pasta; a box of macaroni and cheese; French fries; frozen green peas and carrots; a can of diced pears; a jar of peanut butter; pancake mix; a roll of Pillsbury cookie dough and a box of Brown ’n’ Serve sausages. People who purchase the main box also are eligible to purchase “specials” that this month included steaks, chicken, ribs, Italian sausage and gourmet coffee, all at discount prices.
The Nazarene Church receives no payment for organizing the program, and it also fills orders for the First Presbyterian Church, whose members pick up boxes to distribute at its own church.
Payment in cash, money orders or food stamps must be made in advance, no personal checks are accepted and pick-up must be made on the date and time specified in the monthly fliers. There are no income or family-size requirements, no paperwork to complete and no age, income or beliefs restrictions to meet.
That facet of Angel Food Ministries is its strength, according to Ceretti; the food is for anyone who wants it and it opens the door for receiving and for giving.
She described her daughter’s reaction on hearing about Angel Food.
“She looked at me and she said, ‘Mom, do you realize what this is going to do for the college kids in this town?’” Ceretti recalled.
An acquaintance told Ceretti that she didn’t feel she should buy a $25 box of groceries when she could afford to pay full price.
“I think, ‘Well, OK, go buy a box of groceries then and give them to someone who does need them. Or you buy a box of groceries and that money you saved, give it to your church or a charity,” Ceretti said. “It’s for everybody and that’s the beauty of it.
“We’re hoping that the people will look at it that way. It’s a wonderful opportunity to give to people.”
A single mother was a little skeptical that all she needed to do was pay $25 and bring a large box to pick up the food on Saturday.
“She said, ‘That just sounds too easy,’” Ceretti said. She reminded the young mother of Jesus feeding the hungry.
“He didn’t make them fill out a form and he didn’t make them qualify,” Ceretti said, before wryly injecting a modern twist. “He didn’t make them pay $25, either.”
Each buyer receives a box and a small magazine that explains about the program and holds inspirational messages.
“We’ll fill their stomachs but we want to fill them spiritually, too,” Ceretti said. “That’s just something that I think is vital.”
Ceretti initially was unsure that she was prepared to take over what amounts to an almost full-time job. She researched the Internet to learn more about the program, which has headquarters in Georgia, and she called distribution centers in Topeka, Fort Scott and other towns that already have adopted Angel Food as a project.
“I want the good, I want the bad,” she said she told the other centers’ directors. “Tell me everything you can tell me about it.”
Once the decision was made to proceed, she and Hensen attended an orientation at Wichita to receive instruction; they completed the church’s application and sent out a call for volunteers.
“I just really prayed that God would give us the spirit of unity over this ministry,” she said, adding that already has happened. “People have commented we came together as a team and worked so well together.”
Ceretti set up the volunteers with team leaders to oversee each segment of the order and distribution process. The leaders call team members during the week to remind them of the work date and to give them assignments so that all arrive knowing what their roles are, including nursery workers for volunteers’ children and cooks who prepare breakfast for the volunteers. They order in lunch because, when distribution is over, the activity room needs to be cleaned and organized, and damaged cardboard boxes need to be taken to the recycling center. The day ends around 2 p.m.
Ceretti is looking forward to increasing participation in Angel Food and sends out about 175 copies of the monthly information to service organizations, the health department, Social and Rehabilitation Services and others who have access to large numbers of people.
“I feel like there’s a lot of potential for (Angel Food) in this area,” Ceretti said on Saturday. “We’re having a good time. Even on a day like this, nobody complained about the weather. Nobody complained about being cold. ... This just jumped in and worked.”
On the Net:
Angel Food in Emporia: www.emporianazarene.com.