Churches team up to feed those in need

www.floridatoday.com - June 25, 2009

Churches team up to feed those in need

Donations will provide families with enough food for one week

BY JOHN A. TORRES
FLORIDA TODAY

Starting today, hungry families struggling to provide can go to the nearest Catholic Church for a week's supply of food.

More than 12,000 pounds of food collected and donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was picked up Wednesday by volunteers with Catholic Charities of Central Florida. The partnership is expected to ease the economic crunch for struggling families for the next three weeks.

The food is available for anyone, regardless of faith.

"This is the first time we've connected to work on something like this," said Jody Wordell, information director for the Cocoa Florida Stake of LDS, adding that the Catholic Church was a perfect match because of the large number of churches in Brevard County that can serve as food distribution centers.

Organizers say the timing is perfect, as it comes on the heels of a successful fundraising campaign called Project Hunger aimed at filling the area's food pantries during the summer months, typically the toughest for pantries to keep food stocked.

"People usually donate a lot during the holidays, but February and the summer are the toughest times," Wordell said.

Project Hunger recently raised enough money to supply a little more than $1 million worth of food to sharing centers and other food pantries.

Wednesday's food delivery -- worth more than $7,500 -- will be a stopgap until the Project Hunger funds and food are allocated.

"This sounds like a great deal of food, and it is. But the need is so great that it will only last us about three weeks," said Beverly Lampley, regional director for Catholic Charities of Central Florida's Southern Region, which covers Brevard County. "It is perfect timing because, once this supply dwindles, we will then be into the food provided by Project Hunger."

Catholic Charities also benefited from Project Hunger.

About 1,200 recipients each will receive 10 pounds of food, which should feed a family of four for about a week.

Funding for this effort was provided by donations from Latter-day Saints church members throughout Central Florida. Church members go without two meals one Sunday a month and give the money they would have spent on food to the church.

"Reaching out to those in distress is a central characteristic of the disciples of Jesus Christ," said Jamie Humphreys, president of the Cocoa Florida Stake of LDS. "Providing temporary help to those in need with basic life necessities, while promoting personal responsibility and work opportunity, is the Lord's way."

The partnership between the two faiths is an offshoot of the Brevard Interfaith Coalition, said Linda Wiggins, project coordinator at Catholic Charities of Central Florida.

The coalition is a cooperative effort by faith-based groups and churches in Brevard County to fill in the gaps that government and social service agencies cannot.

The idea for the food distribution came up during a conversation between Wiggins and Wordell a few months ago.

"Catholic Charities was the perfect recipient of this generosity, because it was able to distribute through the Catholic Church parishes," Wiggins said. "The parishes serve anyone in need, regardless of religion."

Contact Torres at 242-3649 or jtorres@floridatoday.com.

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