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What if I wanted to set up a church emergency food pantry for when the supply line shuts down?

A few of us at church have been having a discussion about what would happen if the food supply lines shuts down later in August as some have predicted and the stores had no food. I know that we have quite a few people who are aware and have stocked up and are ready to hunker down and wait it out for 2, 3 or more months. I also know that we have a lot of people who live paycheck to paycheck and don't have the extra money to put anything extra up. These are the people in our church who will need help.

So I approached our elders and suggested that we set up a food supply, at the church, for our church family for when/if things go bad. I was met with enthusiasm but then was tasked to present the idea and a plan to the elder table when they meet on Monday. Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap.

I am well versed on setting up my preps at home and have done the same thing for the last 30 years or so. Setting up something for an unknown number of people, who may not have electricity or running water (think hurricane, EMP blast, hacking of essential services or just general no goods in the pipeline). We have a regular food pantry that anyone can come to and get pre-made boxes of food but there is paperwork and some religious discussion. What I foresee is setting up a storage area with non-perishable foods to be distributed to church family members if that shut down does occur.

Anyone have any good ideas on how best to sell the idea to the elders? Any idea on where to get gross quantities of canned and boxed good at good prices (I'm going to Sam's today to help top off my stores and will be pricing stuff). I don't know if it is best to ask for donations from church members of cash, or is it better to ask them to bring canned goods. Probably cash is better as we would have better control over what we get and not 400 cans of canned pumpkin left over from Thanksgiving.

I checked the usual suspects, CDC, Red Cross, LDS church and didn't come up with ideas that work for us.

Wise words? Forget the whole idea? Step out smartly and march on?

I really feel something is coming soon. It may be the rapture in which case I'll leave a lot of good stuff at home and at the church for the folks that don't go to enjoy while they can. It might be limited items, limited store hours and limited access to cash and banking. It may be World War IV. Something is happening. Many people are feeling it.

Thanks
The Boy Scouts Of America often sponsor and conduct food drives for local churches as a way to give community visibility to the Boy scouts and for the scouts to learn and earn community service. They typical take an area drop off donation bags to houses, then a week later collect the filled bags from the front doors and porches. There might be some local Boy Scout Troops looking for a community and a church to support.
 
Our Church put out a Blessing Box and we eagerly make efforts to keep it full. We also pass out boxes for food from our church supported food bank every other Friday. Included in our Blessing box are milk, hygiene supplies, shampoo, soap, tooth paste, brushed, ladies tampons, cleaning supplies of all sorts, and everything we can think of that a family may need.

Disappointing is the fact that almost every day we stock it, one or two come and take everything, including the plastic baskets we sort the hygiene products in. What family needs 20 toothbrushes? This happens two or three times a week. Yes it is free, but ............
 
A few of us at church have been having a discussion about what would happen if the food supply lines shuts down later in August as some have predicted and the stores had no food. I know that we have quite a few people who are aware and have stocked up and are ready to hunker down and wait it out for 2, 3 or more months. I also know that we have a lot of people who live paycheck to paycheck and don't have the extra money to put anything extra up. These are the people in our church who will need help.

So I approached our elders and suggested that we set up a food supply, at the church, for our church family for when/if things go bad. I was met with enthusiasm but then was tasked to present the idea and a plan to the elder table when they meet on Monday. Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap.

I am well versed on setting up my preps at home and have done the same thing for the last 30 years or so. Setting up something for an unknown number of people, who may not have electricity or running water (think hurricane, EMP blast, hacking of essential services or just general no goods in the pipeline). We have a regular food pantry that anyone can come to and get pre-made boxes of food but there is paperwork and some religious discussion. What I foresee is setting up a storage area with non-perishable foods to be distributed to church family members if that shut down does occur.

Anyone have any good ideas on how best to sell the idea to the elders? Any idea on where to get gross quantities of canned and boxed good at good prices (I'm going to Sam's today to help top off my stores and will be pricing stuff). I don't know if it is best to ask for donations from church members of cash, or is it better to ask them to bring canned goods. Probably cash is better as we would have better control over what we get and not 400 cans of canned pumpkin left over from Thanksgiving.

I checked the usual suspects, CDC, Red Cross, LDS church and didn't come up with ideas that work for us.

Wise words? Forget the whole idea? Step out smartly and march on?

I really feel something is coming soon. It may be the rapture in which case I'll leave a lot of good stuff at home and at the church for the folks that don't go to enjoy while they can. It might be limited items, limited store hours and limited access to cash and banking. It may be World War IV. Something is happening. Many people are feeling it.

Thanks
I think that if it gets bad the most fervent church members will be among the rest that are ignoring the 10 Commandments.
 
Our Church put out a Blessing Box and we eagerly make efforts to keep it full. We also pass out boxes for food from our church supported food bank every other Friday. Included in our Blessing box are milk, hygiene supplies, shampoo, soap, tooth paste, brushed, ladies tampons, cleaning supplies of all sorts, and everything we can think of that a family may need.

Disappointing is the fact that almost every day we stock it, one or two come and take everything, including the plastic baskets we sort the hygiene products in. What family needs 20 toothbrushes? This happens two or three times a week. Yes it is free, but ............
In the Macongo they pull up rollin' on 32"s in the Escalade...... It's disgusting to see the mooches load up.
 
I appreciate your efforts. My coworkers work paycheck to paycheck by CHOICE. They have different priorities.

And if the SHTF, people who are the gatekeepers (elders) will take care of their own first and the peasants may get some crumbs.

I am always willing to help somebody out if they truly need it.

EDIT: Also, do not let everyone know what you have whatever that may be, because they will come for it.
 
Our Church put out a Blessing Box and we eagerly make efforts to keep it full.

Disappointing is the fact that almost every day we stock it, one or two come and take everything, including the plastic baskets we sort the hygiene products in. What family needs 20 toothbrushes?
I'll bet the basket of 20 toothbrushes will be traded to the foreign-born owner of some convenience store who will add that to his store's inventory.

In exchange, the "poor person" will get a six pack of beer from the store.
 
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