Contact: David Mills  Tel: 703.944.1330
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VIRGINIA CHURCHES STEP UP TO HELP STRUGGLING FAMILES WITH RISING FOOD COSTS

A coalition of Churches will deliver food from Danville and Richmond to Manassas on May 31st

More than 75,000 lbs of food will be delivered across VA on May  31st  as  33 local churches band together with Angel Food Ministries to help hard hit families deal with the impact of rising food costs.  With a box of food full of quality meat and other essentials, these local churches are helping seniors on fixed incomes, single parents and hard-working people who struggle to keep their families fed.

According to CNN Money, foreclosures of homes in Virginia leapt 634% in one year, the biggest increase in the United States. At the same time, families are taking another big hit to household budgets as food prices increase at the fastest rate since 1990. Prices for staples such as bread, milk, eggs, and flour are surging at double-digit rates, according to the Labor Department. Analysts say escalating food costs could present a greater problem than soaring oil prices for the national economy because the average household spends three times as much for food as for gasoline.

Even without these surging costs, Virginia already had one of the highest rates of elderly poverty in the United States, with only 15 states ranking higher. (Source: America’s Second Harvest, 2005). Nearly 600,00 or a quarter million Virginia households deal with food insecurity (Brandeis).

To combat this significant increase in need, local churches and non profits join with Angel Food in distribution of top quality food that has been purchased in very large quantities from the nation’s top suppliers.  This cooperative approach allows these churches to pass on substantial assistance to strapped consumers. A $30 box of Angel Food retails for approximately $65. Each box of food assists in feeding a family of four for one week or a single person for almost a month, and contains over 12 pounds of high quality meat. There are no pre-qualifications to participate allowing any Virginian to benefit.  This is especially important for working families who make up 40% of those who seek food assistance.

The value of this food assistance however, is not limited merely to stretching the food dollar. Volunteers who are working on this project hope to extend hope and encouragement to each recipient. Food stamps are accepted, and struggling families are able to maintain a sense of dignity as they receive this “hand-up,” rather than a hand out.

In addition to helping families directly with food, the Angel Food program also is impacting communities by making a monthly donation to each host site its use in the community.  In 2006, Angel Food Ministries gave $3.5 million for this purpose.

This major food distribution reaches from Bristol, Danville and Harrisonburg on the west to Richmond and Norfolk and north to Stafford, Woodbridge and Manassas,  The enthusiastic group of volunteers and grateful recipients will gather at various host sites and drop sites in each region of the state on Saturday morning the 31st, but the participation deadline is May 18th in most areas.

This group of churches is also working to identify additional local churches that will participate as host sites in Northern Virginia, Tidewater and the Shenandoah Valley for future distributions and interested churches should call 888.579.5335.

Discover the value of Angel Food firsthand this Saturday, May 31, by visiting a local distribution site (see attached for locations and times).

For more information about Angel Food Ministries visit www.angelfoodministries.com , view a short video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9A5zsMRVRU or call David Mills at 703.944.1330.

Angel Food Virginia, 5501 Merchants View Square, Haymarket, VA 20169

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