By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Maritza Perez sees the Feed Dat Ministry as a simple way to do the work commanded in the Bible.
“We see people who have a need and we saw an abundance of food going to waste,” she said. “We wanted to connect them.”
Perez is among a group of volunteers from First United Methodist Church on Second Street in Slidell.
Every Thursday they invite anyone needing a bit of extra food to show up, get in line and receive a little extra.
There are no requirements to receive the food, no request to show unemployment verification, no questions asked—simply get in line on Thursday afternoon at the church and you will receive three bags of food that was nearing the expiration dates at Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG). The giant grocery distribution facility in Pearl River is donating food that would otherwise be thrown out, and they are happy to do it.
“Anytime we have food here that is nearing the expiration date it is still good product, but it’s old enough that we don’t sell it,” AWG Senior Vice President Bob Durand said. “We guarantee our grocery stores that the food will have at least a 30 day shelf life, so we are happy to donate anything we have rather than throw it away.”
Perez said there was a church member who worked at AWG and began to notice that a large amount of food was still being thrown away on a regular basis because of the expiration date approaching, even though much of it was donated to food ministries. AWG not only gives the food to the Feed Dat Ministry, but they also donate a large amount of food to Second Harvest Ministry in New Orleans.
“When I heard about the food at AWG I thought we could do something to connect it to people who could use it,” Perez said, since she is a member of the Mission Committee at the church.
“Another church member, Kayce Seiler, said she had been involved in a food ministry at a former church she was at so we used that idea and created the Feed Dat Ministry,” she explained.
Every Thursday at about 2 p.m. a line begins to form, even though the distribution doesn’t occur until 4 p.m. Perez always says a short prayer for the group before starting the food giveaway, and one day she was running late and tried to skip it.
“The people there told me to hold it, since we had to pray first,” she said. “It is clear we are feeding them with more than food.”
Volunteers with the Mission Committee gather Wednesday night after their mid-week service and bag up whatever supplies they have gotten from AWG, and somehow it has always been enough to feed all the people who have gotten in line. Each individual is given three plastic bags full of different non-perishable items.
There has been no advertisement about the ministry other than a sign that was erected in front of the church when they started in October of 2014, but word has slowly spread in the community and Feed Dat is now assisting 120 to 160 people a week.
“We wanted to connect the food to those who need it without a lot of restrictions,” Perez said. “Our feeling is that if you stand in line for a while you should get the food, and so far it was worked out great.”
Among many different items that may end up in the bas are canned goods, potato chips, beans, rice, black eyed peas, cereal, peanut butter and jelly and even a snack once in a while.
“A lot of people on fixed incomes can’t afford cookies or snacks,” she added. “So it’s nice that we can put that in.”
The different items in the plastic bags are completely dependent on what AWG sends their way, while the food ministry at First Baptist Church has worked in conjunction with Feed Dat by sending some of their extra food that might spoil, like bread.
“Some of the cans are damaged, but it is all still good food and this way we are doing something good with food that would otherwise be thrown away,” Perez said.
Perez said she has been drawn to missions work in the churches she attended, partly because her dad is from Cuba and she has made mission trips there four different times.
“We are thankful to AWG for donating the food to us and the funny thing is that there always seems to be enough for whoever shows up,” she said.
Perez said their food ministry has shown them how many of the “working poor or seniors on a fixed income are in our community. Many of the people come here and have jobs, but barely enough to feed themselves and their kids. I feel like we are helping those who truly need it.”