LP Church Will Help People Save On Food

Times are tough for many individuals and families, and as prices for seemingly everything rise, meeting the monthly budget is getting tougher by the day.

The First Presbyterian Church of Lake Placid has teamed up with the SHARE Florida Food Network in an effort to help the community save 50 percent on certain foods, according to a recent press release.

The church's Pastor Ray Cameron said Monday its church benevolence ministry began looking at this program last year when it was dropped by another church.

"SHARE has been in Lake Placid at least 10 years," said Cameron. "The last five years (another church) was doing it. They decided to give up the program. We were contacted and decided to take a look at it. Our benevolent program is in place to take up the work. It's volunteer-led and driven.

The SHARE menu for March will be provided to the church on Feb. 21, according to Herb Frazier, who is the SHARE distribution coordinator and volunteer for the church's benevolence ministry.

The church will begin distributing order forms on Feb. 23 at 201 Belleview St., which is at the corner of Oak Street, for participants to sign up.

He said the distribution order forms can be picked up and dropped off at Belleview Street or at the church office, directly across the street from the church, located on Oak Street.

Food orders must be dropped at the church's drop box on or before March 16 with a payment of $18 for the basic food package.

Food packages have a retail value of $36 or more. There are no income requirements.

"We're still in the early stages of getting organized," said Frazier.

The church will send a truck to a Fort Myers distribution center on the morning of Saturday, March 28 and return to the church to begin the distribution the same morning.

"Food distribution will be between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., March 28," he said. "There will be no late delivery. Anyone who misses that will forfeit their order."

Of course there will be a few hardship exceptions on a case-by-case basis, and accommodation will be made ahead of time for people who do not have the means to get there.

"Our primary objective is to provide quality discounted foods for people in the community," said Frazier. "We hope to expand the program so we can help people who need help, who can't afford the discounted groceries.

"We want to make sure no one is going hungry."

In January, across the state, SHARE delivered 5,712 basic food packages, according to Frazier, reading from SHARE's newsletter.

"The SHARE program does accept food stamps," said Frazier. "I thought that was important."

The logistics of how to buy the food with food stamps, which is now done through a plastic card, will be settled within the upcoming week, he added.

If the basic package does not provide enough food, additional items and food packages are available, including some Easter specials, according to the SHARE Florida Food Network Web site. Click the menu button to see additional selections.

The basic package contains five frozen meat selections plus a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

SHARE, located at 1405 E. Second Ave., Tampa, FL., 33605, is a program of Cornerstone Family Ministries, with a goal to build and strengthen communities through volunteer service while offering savings on high-quality food, according to its Web site at http://02cdb6e.netsolhost.com/index.htm .

First Presbyterian Church of Lake Placid is not affiliated with Cornerstone Family Ministries.