Published: September 05, 2008 12:19 am            

Helping those in need

National food ministry donates food to feed local evacuees

A national food ministry's donation is not only helping to feed the city's Hurricane Gustav evacuees, but has also encouraged partnerships within the community.

Early Thursday, a freezer truck with meats, canned goods, dairy foods and other food items was unloaded in the parking lot of Mustard Tree Bargain Center and distributed to representatives of LOVE's Kitchen, Key Chapter of the American Red Cross, local churches and other entities. The food was donated by Angel Food America, a subsidiary of Angel Food Ministries – a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and contributing to benevolent outreaches in communities throughout the United States.

"Angel Food America is a disaster relief or special needs offshoot of Angel Food Ministries," said Rick Burton, director of Mustard Tree Missions (MTM), a Meridian-based ministry focused on foreign missions.

MTM is an Angel Food Co-op and when Burton learned that food was needed to feed evacuees at a shelter site set up at Frank Cochran Center, he contacted the ministry.

"I told them that we had thousands of evacuees that were being fed by LOVE's Kitchen and the local Red Cross, as well as several churches and individuals who are housing evacuees in their homes," he said.

And Angel Food answered the call with 10 pallets that included beef ribeye steaks and beef back ribs, frozen food entrees such as pizza, dinners and sandwiches, cereals, pasta, potatoes, milk, eggs and more.

"What I see here is so many community partnerships joining hands to take care of the evacuees for Hurricane Gustav," said Cheri Barry, executive director of the local Red Cross chapter.

"And this partnership has turned into longtime partnerships to care for the residents of our community," she said.

Red Cross contracted with LOVE's Kitchen to feed the 650 evacuees housed at the Frank Cochran Center. Fannie Johnson, director of kitchen operations at the local soup kitchen, said it was a request that could not be denied.

"The community helps us so much to provide for LOVE's Kitchen and it was a way for us to give back," Johnson said. "We knew they (community) would want to help us provide for the evacuees."

A "Going Back Home" party was held later that evening as a send off for the evacuees returning to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Louisiana. The meal was prepared by John Fleming of the Jazz Cafe.

"Mr. Fleming came to us volunteering to hold a cookout for the evacuees – not only to cook, but also to provide the food," Barry said. "This wonderful opportunity with Angel Food of America came through just in time to provide food for the cookout. This has grown into new partnerships – with Mustard Seed, LOVE's Kitchen, the Red Cross and our local churches and other volunteers. And that's the way it should be; all of us working together to help those in need."

        

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