. the menu is here
by Lois E. Johnson, January 2006
About 400 people gathered at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Moose Lake early Saturday morning, Jan. 14, for the Feed My Sheep food distribution program.
Approximately 90 people were volunteers and over 300 were participants in the program. The participants came from as far north as Duluth and Cloquet, from as far west as Cromwell and Wright, and from Holyoke to the east, and Askov and Sandstone to the south.
They all came for a huge quantity of food for only $10. The price is raised to $ 12 when there is meat.
"Usually registration doesn't begin until 8 a.m. but some were there at 10 minutes to 7," reported Chris Ripley, a coordinator in charge of the distribution. "If the ladies are here, they start taking registrations early."
The participants wait in the sanctuary of the church. "While they sit there, they begin talking," said Louie Butkiewicz, a volunteer and member of Holy Angels. "That's a good thing."
At 6:30 a.m. some of the volunteers unload two trucks and a trailer and bring the boxes into the social hall of the church. The boxes are stacked inside of a u-shaped table arrangement, and the volunteers place items into the boxes of the participants when they can come into the social hall and slide their boxes along the tables.
"They were ready by 8 that Saturday," said Chris. "Usually we don't start distribution until 9
a.m."
The line of people didn't end until nearly 11 a.m., but there was plenty of food for everyone. Volunteers take some of the leftover food, and leftover food is brought to senior citizen buildings or put out the next day at church.
The food consisted of several varieties of each: fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, juices, dairy products, snacks, and breads. On that Saturday, a hair care product was offered. "That's the first time that we've had anything like that," said Ripley. "We sometimes have toys, like they give at McDonalds."
People often leave with three boxes of food and a bag of bread. Volunteers have carts ready to haul the boxes of food out to the vehicles of the participants.
"This is a ministry," said one of the volunteers as he watched people moving along the line. "It is touching a lot of people."
For families with teens, the food means a smaller grocery bill. "The cost of living is high," said one mother of teens. "We heard that this was a really good deal. This is the first time that we are here."
"A lot of people are hurting financially," said another mother of teens. "It wasn't easy for me to come, but it's not the food shelf. I've been here three times."
"This is the fourth time that I'm here," said another mother of teens. "It's kind of fun; you never know what you are going to get, and you get different things than what you'd buy. Last time I came here we had company, and we brought them with us and they got some food. With four extra teen
boys to feed, it was perfect."
But it isn't only parents of teens that come; people of all ages come for the distribution. "The high gas prices are making people go back to this route," said one participant.
The Feed My Sheep food distribution started in this area in August, and is sponsored by Sonshine Community Services.
The services group used to operate another food distribution though Fare for All, but participation wasn't very high. "We only had 16 people come and get food with Fare for All," said Delores Disterhaupt, chair of the board of Sonshine Community Services. "They had to pay $18 and they only got one box of food. It wasn't worth our time.
"This is so much nicer. We feel like we are helping more people."
"This is so much more of a ministry than Fare for All ever was," said Ripley.
And Disterhaupt is gratified to see how the new food distribution program has brought people from throughout the faith community together. "My desire, since Sonshine Community Services started, was to get people from all of the churches together, and that's happening," she said. "We have people from Barnum and several churches in Moose Lake that come and help with the distribution."
Since the program started in August, the services group has been looking for a space large enough for the distribution. It has been held at the new Methodist church in Barnum and at the Barnum High School.
It has found a home at Holy Angels. "They said that we could use the building as long as we wanted to if there was nothing else going on," said Disterhaupt. "They do have something scheduled in March, so we'll have to have the distribution elsewhere."
The program was started by a pastor in the Twin Cities. "He was injured and unable to work," Disterhaupt said. "Someone showed him a kindness by bringing him food, and the idea came to him right away.
"He vowed that if he got better, this was what he was going to do. He has a warehouse in St. Paul and gathers all of this food, and it is brought to several distribution sites. I know of other sites in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, Pine City, Ogilvie, and Askov. They want to get one started in North Branch. We are the furthest to the north."
The food is close to or just outdated. "On the signup sheet it says that people have to take the responsibility of checking the expiration dates on the food," said Disterhaupt. "We don't take any responsibility for outdated food. But most of the food is good long after the expiration date; people often keep it in their refrigerators long after the expiration date when they buy it in the grocery store."
After the distribution is completed a crew from the Challenge Incarceration Program from Willow River takes care of the cleanup.
Sonshine Community Services was recently awarded a grant from the Northland Foundation. "We were able to buy a large enclosed trailer with the grant funds," said Ripley. "We use it to go to Ruby's Pantry in North Branch and bring back some of the snack items and breads for the distribution."
Disterhaupt stressed that the food is for everyone. "People seem to think that this is for very poor people," she said. "It's for helping anybody; anyone can use a little help. You just have to be willing to let someone do for you."
There are no income guidelines, no volunteer hours needed, no reservations, nor any qualifications needed to receive the food. The distribution is held the second Saturday of every month. Distribution information is published in the local newspapers each month.
Disterhaupt said that this is the motto that the members of Sonshine Community Services live by: "You are on your way to a successful life if you do more for your community than your community does for you."
And they are gratified that the Feed My Sheep program in this area has become so successful in just the few months that it has been in operation.
Complete text/photo reprinted with permission Arrowhead Leader January 24, 2006.
Volume: 23 Issue: 48 Lois E. Johnson