Feeding a need

The Green Groceries ministry at Little Rock’s Christ Episcopal Church helps low-income families eat fresh food from the Natural State’s bountiful harvest

Volunteers Brooke Ware (left) and Kate Walters (right) set out food at Christ Episcopal Church that will be picked up by families participating in the church’s Green Groceries program.
Volunteers Brooke Ware (left) and Kate Walters (right) set out food at Christ Episcopal Church that will be picked up by families participating in the church’s Green Groceries program.

Twice a month, volunteers at Christ Episcopal Church in downtown Little Rock set up shop for a fresh take on the usual food pantry.

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Joe Lampo gathers the food donated for Christ Episcopal Church’s Green Groceries program. The church works in partnership with the Arkansas Local Food Network to provide fresh produce to families in need.

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Marion Hill reacts to the fresh produce offered as part of the Green Groceries program at Christ Episcopal Church.

Known as Green Groceries, the ministry is focused on providing fresh produce to low-income families.

The "green people," or "greenies" as some refer to them, have been handing out locally grown produce since the ministry started three years ago. The clients -- men, women and mothers with children in tow -- arrive with shopping bags to get their produce. All are referred to the ministry by local agencies or the church.

"There is no discrimination," said Susie Shinn, director of the program. "We don't require anything of them except to just come. Our goal is to take the stigma down. We want you to feel comfortable here."

The produce offered depends upon what is in season. On a recent Tuesday, tables were filled with sweet potatoes, yellow squash and zucchini, honeydew melons, farm fresh eggs and chicken. Other times it has been watermelon, tomatoes, lamb or even buffalo.

"We try to keep it interesting," Shinn said.

Each person receives about $28 worth of food during the twice-monthly distributions.

The ministry began in spring 2013 as a partnership between Christ Church and the Arkansas Local Food Network. The food is grown by local farmers and bought by the church for use in the ministry.

The goal is to provide low-income families with fresh food they might not otherwise have access to or be able to afford.

"It's worked out great," said Shinn, who knows first-hand some of the struggles faced by those who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program, to feed themselves or their families. Shinn wrote her master's thesis on urban food insecurity, and as part of her research she lived on SNAP for a year.

"It's hard," she said. "You're forced to buy the cheapest food and food that will last."

Right now Green Groceries serves 30 families twice a month. Shinn hopes that in three years the ministry will have expanded enough to serve more families and to distribute food every week.

Shinn said some clients have been with the program since the beginning, while others need the assistance for a short time.

"It's a spectrum," she said. "Some happen to be in a place where they are in hard times, and for others the hard times are here to stay."

So far, 120 people have cycled in and out of the program.

"The best thing is they get jobs and they don't need us anymore," Shinn said. "We miss them, but we're happy for them."

Shinn and the volunteers have grown close to the clients over the years. Some text photos of the meals they made with the food. Others send notes of thanks.

One in particular stands out in Shinn's mind -- a note from a mother grateful that she could provide for her children.

"She said 'you made me feel like a mom again,'" Shinn said. "To be the group to do that is the greatest thing I've ever achieved."

Joe Lampo has been volunteering with Green Groceries since the first distribution day. He took over as the volunteer coordinator shortly after that.

"We've got really reliable, good people interested in the purpose of the program, which is gratifying," he said.

Lampo said the group enjoys giving families access to fresh produce.

"A lot of us are so used to eating fresh vegetables we forget what it's like. We take it for granted," he said.

Parishioner Nell Weaver Lyford also has been volunteering with the ministry since it started.

"It's an opportunity for parishioners to give something to the community and it gives us a chance to meet people that we wouldn't otherwise," she said.

Lyford is donating proceeds from her book, Heaven's Missing Wing, to the ministry. The book is available for sale at the church's Sixth Street Bookstore.

Information is available online at christchurchlr.org or [email protected].

Religion on 09/17/2016

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