By Ken Jackson
Staff Writer

There’s an easy way to save a quick $20 off your grocery bill, and it’s not even the best-kept secret in town.

Through Angel Food Ministries, local residents can order a week’s worth of food for a fraction of the cost of the same food at the supermarket.

AFM is a non-denominational, nonprofit organization based in Monroe, Ga., that buys staple foods from major food suppliers at wholesale, then distributes it all through churches and community organizations. At the beginning of each month, participants place orders for boxes for different food types or meals, and can order as many as they need.

The boxes range in price from $16 to $30, depending on the type of food. The larger boxes, such as the “Signature Box,” the most popular at $30, contains what would cost upward of $60 at a chain supermarket.

That box, for example, in July contains chicken, meatloaf, lean ground beef, hamburgers, eggs, vegetables, meal helpers, cereal and shelf-safe milk — enough food to feed a family of four for a week or a single person for about a month.

The best part is that it is open to everyone. “If you eat, you qualify,” AFM’s website (www.angelfoodministries.com) proclaims.

Local church or groups that offer the ministry include Life Assembly of God and At Family Ministry in Kissimmee, Nueva Jerusalen in Poinciana and Cornerstone Church in St. Cloud.

Cornerstone became part of it largely due to the efforts of Leyda Whyms and her husband, Lee. They heard about the ministry and ordered food through Life Assembly before Cornerstone began participating.

She said that it is a great plan that not many people know about.

“It’s for everyone, at least everyone who wants to save money, and who doesn’t need to do that right now,” she said. “If you order, you’re not taking anything away from anyone. Some of what is included is brand-name, but it’s all really good food.”

Each month, up to 10 different packages are available. Ready-made meals designed for seniors, allergen-free products and after-school snacks for children are offered in packages available each month. In addition, specialty boxes containing steaks, other grillable meats and fruits and vegetables are available.

Whyms said some people can do the bulk of their grocery shopping thanks to AFM.

“Some people get a couple different packages, and for them it almost eliminates the need for the supermarket,” she said.

AFM trucks the food monthly to a local distribution site (Cornerstone’s site, for example, is in Davenport). Lee Whyms drives a truck there and brings back the contents of all boxes ordered through Cornerstone. There, about 10 volunteers assemble the boxes for customers to pick up.

“Each month we have plenty of volunteers,” Leyda Whyms said. “We’re doing fantastic and we thank God for that.”

Whyms said that in May they ordered 169 boxes through Cornerstone, with 100 to 120 unique users.

According to its website, AFM offers “restaurant grade” meats, frozen vegetables, fruits and dairy products from high-quality vendors. “Seconds” or “day old” type products are never involved.

To become a host site, a community organization pays a one-time $50 application fee, which covers all training materials. Once a host site is established, Angel Food Ministries donates $1 per regular unit to the host organization’s benevolent fund, and since its 1994 inception, Angel Food Ministries has contributed more than $12 million in this way.

Mike Wood, AFM’s director of ministry development, said the program helps those who need to stretch their grocery budgets and helps to bring congregations together.

“This is about community outreach, it’s a blessing for everyone involved,” he said. “It brings people together and reinforces relationships to get this done.”

Ordering information, such as order deadlines and pickup dates and times, is available on the website. Those wishing to participate can pay at the local host sites with cash, check or food stamps, or order online with a credit card. For more local information, contact the local sites: Cornerstone Church – 407-892-3300 ext. 345; Nueva Jerusalen – 407-933-2622; At Family Ministry – 321-206-6560; Life Assembly of God – 407-847-8222.