Family To Family

"Are you here for a bag of groceries?" the older gentleman asked.

He looked a bit disappointed when the visitor said she wasn't.

Joe Barber, a member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Springdale and a volunteer with the church's new Family to Family -- A Grocery Relief Ministry, was eager to give away the food-filled bags his fellow parishioners had collected -- 21 in all.

Barber waited only a few minutes longer before he was able to help someone in need. A young couple with their baby stopped by the church to pick up one bag of groceries. Soon afterward a mother of five picked up two bags of groceries to help feed her family.

Before the food distribution was over, Barber and the other volunteers gave away 16 bags of groceries. The next food distribution is Friday.

"We are serious here about loving our neighbors," said the Rev. Pamela Morgan, rector at St. Thomas. "We want others to have what we enjoy. ... For ourselves, we don't want to take what we have for granted."

The church also offers a free midday meal each Tuesday, but Morgan said she organized this ministry to get more parishioners involved in combating food insecurity. Her hope is that the parishioners who took bags to fill with groceries would shop with their entire family.

"For a family to go out and see what things cost and see how much better off they are, I think that's a powerful piece of what it will take to address this whole food insecurity issue," she said.

Kellie VanCuren of Springdale, the mother of five, said she appreciated people like those at St. Thomas who were willing to help her family and others like hers.

"So many people in this area need help," she said.

Each month VanCuren receives a disability check and benefits for food assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps. She said stretching her groceries for the whole month is difficult, especially in the summer because she has to supply more food for her children -- ages 17, 10, 7, 7 and 5 -- when they are not in school.

In 2012, more than 47 million Americans lived in households that had difficulty putting food on the table, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In May, the weekly average cost of food for a family of four -- a male and a female between ages 19 and 50 and two children ages 6 to 11 -- was $150.20 per week for a thrifty meal plan, $197.80 per week for a low-cost meal plan, $245.80 per week for a moderate-cost meal plan and $299.20 per week for a liberal meal plan, according to the USDA.

Receiving the food from St. Thomas volunteers is simple. All that is required is the name of the person picking up the food and the number of adults and children in the household, which determines if the family gets one or two bags. A family with one to four members can take one bag of groceries, while a family of five or more can take two bags.

The bags are filled with nonperishable food items chosen from a list compiled by Monica Stewart, a licensed dietitian. Stewart is friends with one of the parishioners.

Morgan took the list, along with a large brown paper grocery bag, to the grocery store and filled the bag as she shopped to see what and how much would fit.

"I tried to imagine the meals," Morgan said about choosing which items from the list to purchase."There's a lot to consider."

She said she opted for the bag of crackers instead of a box of crackers to go along with soup, for example, because the bag took up less room.

All of the bags contained the same food. The total cost of one bag of groceries was $34, Morgan said.

"I know there is not enough to last very long," she said. "If we're able to alleviate hunger for a weekend, a day or a single meal, then I think we've accomplished a great good."

Stewart's list included food from each of the food groups, something she said shoppers should think about when purchasing food for donations.

"Each food group brings something to the table by providing different nutrients," Stewart said.

She suggested choosing dried fruits, fruit canned in juice instead of syrup, canned vegetables with no added salt, canned meats, instant dry milk, whole grain cereals and pastas.

"Any of these choices will help provide a nutrient-dense grocery bag for all ages," she said.

Another tip: Look for items that are approved by the Women, Infants and Children program.

"These items are typically store branded and have a better nutritional profile than other similar items due to WIC regulations," she said.

Morgan said seeing people in need of food breaks her heart.

"It's a basic thing, to feed people," she said. "I grew up in a family of working poor. My father never missed a day of work, and we almost had enough. ... People forget about the working poor. If you have a job, you don't get assistance."

Morgan wants to make sure everyone who needs food can get it -- whether they have a job or not.

"You matter, too. Your family matters," she said.