December Distribution Includes Christmas Dinners For Sale

This Saturday, along with the regular Prairie Land Food distribution, New Covenant Grocery Relief has several "Holiday Full Meal Deal" boxes available for purchase for $32 each.

These are the same as November's Special #2, and include a whole chicken, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, sweet potato patties, corn, green beans, strawberries, biscuits, and a pie.

January ordering will also begin on 12/17/11 during distribution time.

Exciting partnership with Prairie Land Food

We at New Covenant UMC's Grocery Relief are very excited to be working with Prairie Land Food to help people get quality healthy food at affordable prices!

The October order turn-in date was Monday, October 10, but PLF continued to take orders until they are sold out for the month. Several people got in later in the week before the food boxes were all sold. If you ever want to order but it is past the date, go ahead and call Nancy at 316-265-7061 or June at 800-998-9436 to see what is available.

Distribution will be Saturday, October 22, 2010, from 8:00-9:00 am.  On some of the early order receipts, I put 8:00-10:00am. We will certainly stay around if needed. I also forgot to tell some people that the Prairie Pak, the Meat Only selection, and the Fruit/Veggie selection come in bulk. We will have an assembly line for those items. If you ordered any of those, please bring a box or reusable grocery bag if possible. We will have extra boxes.

Although the basic principal of bulk purchasing for reduced cost is the same between Prairie Land Food and Angelfood Ministries, there are several differences that I would like to point out:

Prairie Land Food is a regional program. It was started in Hillsboro, KS by two people who saw a need and took the steps to fill that need. They serve Kansas, Nebraska, and part of Oklahoma and have no intention of going national.

With AFM, each box had $1 of the price go back to the host site. Most customers were not aware of this. With PLF, the box price is for the food. There is a $1 "site handling fee" that is added to your order that the host site retains. (For those using Vision, the $1 needs to be paid in cash.) We use this fee for printing flyers, postage, and other costs of running the program. For New Covenant, this will average about half of what we received from using AFM. It is not a money maker by any means, but it is nice that this ministry is close to self-funding.

The main food box, the Prairie Pak, is smaller than AFM's Bread of Life signature box. It has fewer items and costs less.

The Meat only option and the Fruit/Veggie option are subsets of the Prairie Pak.

The exact contents of the Fruit/Veggie box are usually available about a week before the order turn-in date. This is later than the AFM fruit and veggie box contents list. The PLF fresh fruit and vegetables are seasonal and fairly local.

The specials and "choice" and "bonus" items will vary quite a bit from month to month with PLF. Choice and Bonus items require the purchase of a Prairie Pak or Special. There are no other restrictions on item purchases.

And last, but not least, I get to work with the same person for everything related to PLF! June Glasgow is the south-Kansas representative. She came to New Covenant in September to talk with me in person about the program. She is available to me via email and telephone, and she will personally work with customers who want to order but get paid at a time that doesn't exactly fit the PLF standard ordering time.

Grocery Relief changing vendors

Grocery Relief at New Covenant is looking into changing food vendors. Angel Food Ministries has officially closed down. I have been in contact with Prairie Land Food already and will make every effort to become a host site in time for October distribution on 10/22. If that partnership does not work out, we will continue to seek another food vendor. Helping people feed their families is a vital part of New Covenant's mission!

September Angel Food Distribution Cancelled

Angelfood Ministries has announced that the September food distribution has been cancelled. All paid cash orders will be refunded by the host site. Online orders will be refunded by AFM to the card used to place the order. New Covenant will have someone at the church during scheduled order times to issue refunds.

August Angel Food box changes

Beginning in August, the two most popular food boxes from Angel Food Ministries will have only frozen items.

The Bread of Life (Signature Box) "B1", which costs $35, will have 9 frozen meat/entree items and 9 frozen vegetable items. (As a comparison, in July it had 9 entrees, 4 vegetables, 3 dry goods, milk, and eggs. In June it had 8 entrees, 5 vegetables, 3 dry goods, milk, eggs, and cookie dough.)

The Bountiful Blessing Box "B3", which costs $46, will have 12 frozen meat/entree items and 11 frozen vegetable items. (In comparison, in July it had 13 entrees, 5 vegetables, 4 dry goods, milk, eggs, and cookie dough. In June it had 11 entrees, 6 vegetables, 5 dry goods, milk, eggs, and cookie dough.)

The shelf-stable dry goods have been moved out of the B1 and B3 boxes into a separate box. The Pantry Box is "B9" and costs $21. The contents for August are:
10 oz. White Meat Chicken (2 x 5 oz. cans)
28 oz. Baked Beans (canned)
56 oz. Tomatoes (2 x 28 oz. cans)
1 lb. Pasta
1 lb. Rice
1 lb. Dry Beans
12 oz. Peanut Butter
19 oz. Grape Jelly
8 oz. Fudge Brownie Mix
18 oz. Quick Oatmeal
16 oz. Pancake Mix
6 oz. Cereal
64 oz. Shelf Stable Milk (2 x 32 oz.)

Another change for New Covenant Grocery Relief customers is that we are moving distribution time another 30 minutes earlier. The truck schedule for our drop site has changed, so pick up will start at 8:00 am on distribution days.

June Grocery Relief distribution moved earlier

Now that we have a good idea how the Angel Food site pick-up and distribution are going after the changes a couple of months ago, New Covenant has decided to move the Saturday morning Grocery Relief distribution 30 minutes earlier, to 8:30-10:00.

This change should also help keep the food frozen during the hot summer months.

Local Price Comparision for May AFM boxes

Angel Food Ministries now has a price comparison map on their home page. I have submitted Wichita, KS prices for the B1 Bread of Life (Signature) box and the B3 Bountiful Blessing box.

On Tuesday, May 3, I took the list of B1 and B3 items to a local Dillons. Using as close to the same items and sizes as possible, I came up with $68.75 and $89.65, respectively, before tax, using a Dillons card for discount. I also chose the least expensive brand, while still trying to match the items as close as possible. A cash purchase would have cost $73.77 and $96.19 and about an hour of my time, as compared to $35 and $46 (sales tax exempt) and about 10 minutes to pick up at New Covenant.

B1 - Bread of Life items

1 lb.	100% Ground Chicken (sub: ground turkey)	$3.19
1 lb.	100% Ground Turkey	$3.19
32 oz.	2% Shelf-Stable Milk	$1.79
1.5 lb.	Bone-In Pork Chops (4 x 6 oz.) (larger: 1.75 lb, 5 chops)	$7.29
7.5 oz.	Break-n-Bake Cookies (larger: 16 oz was smallest)	$2.19
28 oz.	Diced Tomatoes	$1.19
1	Dozen Eggs (medium)	$1.41
2 lb.	Fresh Sweet Georgia Vidalia Onions	$1.98
1.5 lb.	Fully Cooked Meatballs	$2.99
1 lb.	Garden Peas (smaller/sub: 12oz peas & carrots)	$1.00
2 lb.	Gourmet Mac & Beef Entrée (5% More Beef!) (larger: 5 pkgs @ 7 oz)	$5.00
1 lb.	Green Beans (smaller: 12 oz)	$1.00
2.5 lb.	IQF Split Chicken Breasts (Resealable Bag) (larger: 3 lb)	$6.99
1 lb.	Long Grain Brown Rice	$0.89
1.5 lb.	Maple Flavored Breakfast Sausage Links (approx. 34 count) (fewer: 28 ct, same wt)	$5.58
1.5 lb.	New York Strip Steaks (Small Bone, 4 x 6 oz.) (sub: all big, get 2 @ 12 oz & cut)	$14.99
1 lb.	Pasta	$1.00
1 lb.	Seasoned Waffle Fries (larger: 22 oz only size)	$3.29
16 ct.	Sweet Hawaiian Dinner Buns (smaller: 12 ct)	$2.79
	Extra 12 oz bag of veggies since none were 16 oz	$1.00

Total cost, with 7.3% tax = $73.77
B1 Savings = $38.77


B3 - Bountiful Blessing items

	All B1 Items	$68.75
2 lb.	All Meat Hot Dogs (2 pkgs @ 1 lb)	$3.00
16 oz.	Complete Pancake Mix (Just Add Water) (3 pkgs @ 5.5 oz)	$1.59
1 lb.	Corn (smaller: 12 oz)	$1.00
2 lb.	Gourmet Dining Shrimp Stir Fry (smaller: 24 oz)	$6.99
1.5 lb.	Lean Hamburger Steaks (4 x 6 oz.) (smaller: 1.3 lb was closest size)	$5.84
1 lb.	Sugar Snap Peas and Carrots (smaller/sub: 12 oz Sugar Snap Peas)	$2.49

Total cost, with 7.3% tax = $96.19
B3 Savings = $50.19

April Grocery distribution this Saturday

New Covenant will be distributing Angel Food on Saturday, April 23, from 9-10:30 am. We will also be taking orders for May. The May menu is available online. We will have printed menus at the church.


After some experimentation with using all pre-packed boxes, then going back to assembly-line style, AFM has decided to return to pre-packed boxes for all selections. An overwhelming majority of host sites responding to a survey after the March distribution preferred the pre-packed method. It makes distribution faster and, more importantly, makes shortages and errors much less likely. The only assembly that will be done at the host sites are adding the non-frozen items to B1 (Bread of Life - Signature box) and B3 (Bountiful Blessing box).

Due to price increases in both food and fuel, several of the boxes have gone up a few dollars in price. Some boxes have more items, and some have remained the same. None of the boxes have gotten smaller with a higher price! (Specials change content and price every month, so I don't count Special #1's change in that statement.)

Here is a summary of the May menu
    B1 (Bread of Life - Signature box) is $35 with 19 items
    B2 (Bit O' Blessing) is $22 with 10 items
    B3 (Bountiful Blessing) is $46 with 25 items
    B4 (Fast & Flavorful Cuisine) is $29 with 10 meals
    B5 (Allergen Free) is $25 with 5 items
    B6 (Just 4 Me - After School) is $25 with 12 items
    B7 (Just 4 Me - No Child Goes Without) is $25 with 14 items
    B8 (Just 4 Me - Fruit & Veggie) is $17 with 9 items
    B9 (Pastor Joe's Premium box) is $55 with 9 items
    S1 (5 lb New York strip - Special #1) is $26
    S2 (6 lb Memorial Day Grill Box - Special #2) is $25
    S3 (Fruit and Veggie - Special #3) is $24 with 14 items

Grocery Relief box requirements changing

Due to Angel Food Ministries changing how some of the food boxes are being delivered, all customers ordering B1 (Bread of Life - signature box) and B3 (Bountiful Blessings box) will need to bring a box or other container for each of those boxes ordered from New Covenant Grocery Relief for delivery on March 26th.

We will try to have spare boxes or grocery bags for people who forget or do not get the message about this change. All boxes EXCEPT B1 and B3 will still come prepacked. The amount of food in B1 will usually fit in a box about the size of a case of paper, B3 is larger. A laundry basket or large cooler will also work. If you have reusable grocery bags, bring 2 for each "box", unless you have the extra large bags, then 1 will do.

February Angel Food deadline extended

Angel Food Ministries has extended the ordering deadline for the Feb. 26th distribution (this Saturday). Grocery Relief at New Covenant UMC will take online orders until 11:00am Tuesday, Feb. 22nd via this link.  If you need in-person ordering for Vision card or cash, please call the Grocery Relief phone to make arrangements 316 - 265 - 7061.

In Person Ordering postponed

Due to the weather and road conditions, no one will be at New Covenant UMC this evening to take orders for Angel Food.

There are still three in-person dates scheduled for Grocery Relief ordering after today. You can come next Wednesday from 5-6pm, or either of the next two Sundays from 12:30-1:30pm.

February orders & Easter dinner

New Covenant Grocery Relief is taking orders for February 26th Angel Food distribution.  You can also pre-order the Easter dinner box that will be delivered in April.

In person ordering will be available at New Covenant UMC at the following times:
Wed. Feb. 9th, 5-6pm
Sun. Feb. 13th, 12:30-1:30pm
Wed. Feb. 16th, 5-6pm
Sun. Feb. 20th, 12:30-1:30pm

Online ordering is available through 11pm Sunday, February 20.

Special #4, 4.5 lbs of T-bone steaks for $24, is available only online.

The Easter Holiday box, Special #5, costs $36 and includes a whole chicken, a pork roast, 8 twice baked potatoes, green beans, 12 mini corn cobs, stuffing mix, gravy mix, 12 rolls, and a pie.

Orders being accepted for January Angel Food

Grocery Relief at New Covenant has 5 remaining scheduled order days before the January 29th Angel Food distribution.

Wed. Jan 12, 5:00-6:00pm
Sun. Jan. 16, 12:30-1:30pm
Wed. Jan. 19, 5:00-6:00pm
Sat. Jan. 22, 5:00-6:00pm
Sun. Jan. 23, 12:30-1:30pm

If you want to order at another time during a weekday, please call the church office before coming to confirm that someone is available. New Covenant has changed its worship services back to Sundays, so the weekend ordering times will follow Sunday service, except on distribution weekend. The time will be 12:30-1:30 on the Sundays we take orders.

Haysville and two Wichita host sites had their last Angel Food Ministries distribution in December 2010. There are still five Wichita sites, and one in Benton. We hope that everyone who wants to purchase Angel Food will find the host site closest to them and still be able to order.