FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) September 29, 2009 -- Sustainable Alternatives Show Dramatic Growth in Response to Need

Virginia (September 29, 2009) – Angel Food Ministries (www.angelfoodministries.com), an organization dedicated to providing affordable, high-quality food has been responding to the growing need for affordable food in the state of Virginia. From just 35 Virginia locations in 2008, Angel Food Ministries has expanded its food cooperative to more than 170 sites. For families, young professionals and seniors who have never had to visit the food pantry before, the economy has now created the need that spurred this growth.

“Families are now faced with the triple challenge of job, credit and deflated housing values,” David Mills, State Outreach Director for Angel Food. “It’s the new faces at

the food bank that is driving the increased need for solutions. These local food coops order and work together and save people about 50% on the food they receive, and it is spreading into nearly every rural and urban space throughout Virginia,” Mills added.

Angel Food is unlike traditional emergency food programs, which are now under significant strain. It has no income requirements, and employs a cooperative approach to the food distribution in which thousands of volunteers from nonprofit organizations, community groups and churches across the state join together each month to organize and distribute boxes of high quality food. All of this is made possible by the massive scale of Angel Food’s purchasing power, which amounts to roughly $13 million each month, and the

local commitment of volunteer host sites.

Pastor Joe Wingo, CEO and Founder of Angel Food, said, “People are looking for long-term help, but the kind of help that still leaves them with a sense of dignity as they deal with the challenge of keeping food on the table. Many are coming up short, but have a hard time reaching out to the food banks.”

Pastor Wingo said, “The people are hurting, and looking for some other way to cope. Their pride prevents them from seeking handouts; that’s where our food coops come-in, we consider it a hand-up, not a hand-out.”

Mills said, “Our food relief system just wasn’t meant to hold up under the kind of pressure it is under today, and Angel Food provides an alternative that can keep people from needing the food bank system and helps them to regain some self-sufficiency.”

Orders for the month of October are due by October 11th, with food delivered on Saturday morning October 17th. If you visit one of these sites, you will see the relief on people’s faces as they see a box of quality food containing 8 to 10 lbs of meat along with vegetables coming their way, and find a great example of community members pulling together to help each other. The regular food box will provide the main meals for a family of four for about a week, the seniors box contains 10 high quality meals.

Anyone who wishes to make use of Angel Food’s services can call David Mills at 888.579.5335 or visit www.angelfoodministries.com to find the nearest host site.

About Angel Food Ministries
Angel Food Ministries (www.angelfoodministries.com) is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing financial support in the form of food relief to communities throughout the United States. Established in 1994 to provide relief for struggling families in the Monroe, GA area, Angel Food Ministries today serves hundreds of thousands of families across 42 states, recently welcoming Nevada to the roster where Angel Food’s benefits can be realized. Since inception, Angel Food Ministries has fed more than 22 million Americans. In 2008, AFM provided $120 million in direct food assistance to American families.

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VA Press Contact: David Mills
Tel: 888.579.5335 - Email: dmills@angelfoodva.org
Angel Food Virginia, 5501 Merchants View Square #215, Haymarket, VA 20169