Groceries sold at discount are available to anyone who eats

SHARE volunteers Tom Hilger and Ellen Polacca take orders for discounted groceries through Cornerstone Southern Baptist Church, 802 W. 22nd Terrace.

Two nonprofit organizations, operating through Lawrence churches, offer packages of groceries at savings of about 50 percent off typical grocery store prices, with no qualifications for customers.

Angel Food Ministries and SHARE both provide monthly pickup of pre-ordered food packages at city churches. Angel Food Ministries runs out of Christ Community Church, 1100 Kasold Drive, and SHARE uses Cornerstone Southern Baptist Church, 802 W. 22nd Terrace. The programs themselves are both nondenominational.

Both of the national organizations use local volunteers to operate the programs, which have no income requirements or any other qualifications. Crystal Wolgast, SHARE regional developer, said SHARE’s motto was “If you eat, you qualify.”

“It’s for you if you believe in saving money on your groceries,” Wolgast said.

Alycia Wiley, coordinator of Lawrence Angel Food Ministries program, said the Angel Food program was also intended for everyone.

“Everybody needs help with their food budgets,” Wiley said.

Wiley said she had ordered groceries from the program herself and said the food was similar to what’s available at a grocery store.

Both programs feature menus that change each month. The organizations save money by buying the items needed for each month’s menu in bulk, directly from manufacturers, and by not taking a profit.

“Meeting people in the community, touching people’s lives, that’s where the profit is,” Wiley said.

Both services offer one main food package each month for about $25, as well as several other packages. SHARE also has single grocery items available a la carte.

To order food from SHARE’s July menu or to ask questions, people can go to Cornerstone Southern Baptist Church from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. today. Food pickup is July 28 at the church.

The order period for Angel Food Ministries’ July menu has ended, but orders for the August menu will begin Saturday.

Discounted groceries

Angel Food Ministries, Christ Community Church, 1100 Kasold Drive.

August menu, $25:

¢ Lean hamburger steaks, 2 lb.

¢ Boneless pork filet, 1.5 lb.

¢ Turkey pot roast, 1.25 lb.

¢ Boneless skinless chicken breast, 1 lb.

¢ Fully cooked meatballs, 1 lb.

¢ Beef and bean burritos, 2.5 lb.

¢ Shelf-stable milk, 32 oz.

¢ Breakfast cereal, 11 oz.

¢ Beef stroganoff dinner, 6.5 oz.

¢ Pasta, 1 lb.

¢ Pasta sauce, 26 oz.

¢ Green beans, 1 lb.

¢ Pancake mix, 8 oz.

¢ Rice, 1 lb.

¢ Beef gravy, 10.5 oz.

¢ Fresh potatoes, 2 lb.

¢ Dessert item

Order dates for August menu at Christ Community:

¢ Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

¢ Sunday, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

¢ July 19, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

¢ July 22, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

¢ July 26, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Pick-up at Christ Community will be in mid-August.

SHARE, Cornerstone Southern Baptist Church, 802 W. 22nd Terrace

SHARE’s $25 July “Classic” package:

¢ Shaved roast beef, 1 lb.

¢ Bacon-wrapped turkey filet mignon, four 6 oz. portions

¢ Extra-lean ground beef, 1 lb.

¢ Lean ground turkey, 1 lb.

¢ Foster Farms southwest cooked chicken breast strips, 18 oz.

¢ Smoked honey sliced deli ham, 16 oz.

¢ Frozen corn, 12 oz.

¢ Chicken flavor ramen noodles, 3 oz.

¢ Seven to 10 fresh fruits and vegetables

Orders for the July menu are due by July 20. Order at Cornerstone from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. today with cash, check or food stamps, or order at www.sharecolorado.com or (800) 933-7427 with Visa or MasterCard.

Pick-up at Cornerstone is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. July 28.