3.03.2010

Works for Me Wednesday: Angel Food Ministries



Our regular WFMW host is on her way to Kenya with Compassion, Int'l. Bloggers. This week, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for more WFMW posts!

In this economy it seems like everyone is trying to be a bit more responsible with their money. Budgets are cool. Couponing is the latest rage.

Frugal is the new black!

I suspect, that if our family and many of our friends are any indication, one of the largest parts of most household budgets is groceries. Fortunately, stores like Aldi are becoming more widespread, and help reign in the grocery budget without sacrificing quality.

Another option is a program called Angel Food Ministries. From their website:

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Georgia (between Atlanta and Athens), and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families every month across 44 states.

For $30, you get a box of food designed to assist in feeding a family of four for a week. For example, the March 2010 Signature Box looks like this:




The items in the monthly box vary, but the food is always of high quality, no seconds or dented cans. In addition to the "Signature Box", a variety of special boxes are available. These packages range in price from $20-$35. You can find the full March menu offerings on their site.

We've been doing Angel Food for the past several months, using it in conjunction with our local Aldi and Walmart. We've seen significant savings in our monthly grocery bill, and my family actually looks forward to "Angel Food meals".

There is no income requirement to participate, and AFM accepts food stamps (LINK cards in Illinois) in addition to the traditional methods of payment. You can order online in most locations.

Angel Food Ministries has been a huge help to our family budget, and that really Works for Me!

3 comments:

Kathy @ House of Hills said...

I keep meaning to try them, but always miss the deadline to order. Thanks for this reminder at the beginning of the month!

Shell said...

Angel Food is awesome. But, it caused a huge drama in my moms' group when I brought it up, people saying they didn't want to take other people's food. But, there isn't a certain limit on how much of it a place can get. However many are ordered, that's how many get delivered!

*Just in case anyone reading this is wondering, I'm throwing it out there :)

Unknown said...

@Kathy, that's how we were in the beginning. Now my husband even knows the deadline and reminds me to order!

@Shell, that's a good clarification. AFM encourages people of all economic levels to order. They say the more orders they receive, the better products and deals they can work out with the distributors. It's a win-win!

Seriously, we've had very few "poor" products. Some aren't what I would necessarily buy, but it's decent quality. We're most impressed with the meats. Ribeye steaks, NY strips, boneless pork chops...none of those would be on my "regular" grocery list, but we get them on a regular basis with AFM and the specials boxes!