So many of our churches are doing amazing ministries to feed hungry children and their families. Our call to help the most vulnerable is needed as much as ever. We must practice social distancing to keep ourselves and others healthy. Yet, we must also continue our call and practice of caring for the poor and hungry. Consider how you can continue your feeding ministry. Below are some suggestions how you can continue or get involved!
To take care of ourselves and others:
- Practice social distancing in handing out and in packing/preparing food/meals.
- Recruit younger volunteers to help with the distribution knowing that many of our traditional volunteers have greater risks for complications from the coronavirus.
- Do not congregate at distributions or meals.
Food distribution ministries: Stay open! Keep delivering!
- Keep times of distributions limited to certain hours.
- Pack food boxes/sacks rather than offer shopping experiences.
- Set up distributions as close to the door as possible of where normal distributions occur.
- Set the box down or leave the box for each family outside the door.
- Keep enough food on your shelves!
Meal Ministries
- Pack sacks or boxed meals.
- Set up just inside or outside the door for easy pick-up by the family or person.
- Limit time to pick up the meal.
- Meals should be to go; no congregating.
Help make sure that our most vulnerable continue to have access through public witness.
- Regularly check the AR Hunger Relief Alliance’s website, Instagram page and Facebook.
- Call your Congressman concerning HR6201.
- Look for a special day to call. Right now, it is set for Wednesday.
- Policy changes that can help alleviate the financial stress for this time period are:
- Restrictions lifted on WIC and SNAP loosened for the time being.
- Approved foods are harder to find on the shelves in stores. They need access to purchase other food options, such as bread and milk.
- Adults with no kids are scheduled to be kicked off SNAP. Postpone this for the time being.