Phil's going in the lake again!

[Phil Lilley]

As many of you know, CAM (Christian Action Ministries) is the food pantry for Taney and Stone Counties.  We distribute food to almost 6500 residents each month through over 60 outreaches.  And we do it with a shoestring staff of 7 people, half are part time.  Most of the work is done by volunteers.

Here's an interesting statistic - 62% of the people we give food to have at least one job.  Many have 2 and 3 jobs.  Some are retired and on a fixed income.  Some are on disability.  Some are deadbeats and don't deserve free food but that percentage is small.

Here's your chance to help with this ministry, and give back for the cost of running this forum.    I don't care how much you give - but you should give something.

Thank you!

https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E358532&id=54&fbclid=IwAR1hntS0fZiaqp5JwaxnXROaTH4gd5Qzc9Vn0exvjtPhG-_XfP-sqPGrxL0

https://mailchi.mp/b26147c0c73b/a-record-breaking-year-for-christian-action-ministries?e=1213934769

[fishinwrench]

It's interesting that y'all interview folks before you donate to them. 

Around here they just pile it up in a parking lot, and people just pull in and grab it.   Often in a vehicle more expensive than all of my cars & boats combined.😅

[ness]

I appreciate this forum and the lack of obnoxious ads. Thank you Phil! 

From a book I’m reading (with a slight modification):

“At this festive season of the year, you blowhards," said the gentleman, taking up a pen, "it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time.”

[Phil Lilley]

I used to be a care coach, which is the person that, I wouldn’t call it interview, but ask questions of the people coming in for food. They do have to prove residency of Taney county or Stone county but that’s the only criteria to receive food.

For reporting and statistics that we are required to gather to receive federally assisted commodities, we ask if they receive any entitlements or assistance from local, state or federal agencies. Then we ask the personal questions like, how are they doing, are they working, do they need any help with job training or Any medical needs, any other issues at home that we could help with such as childcare or even if there is any abuse in the home. We also ask if they need any prayer or if we could pray with them.

We also ask if they need any special items like diapers, detergent, toiletries, any special dietary items. If we have it, we will give it to them.

They can come in to one of our distribution centers which are open five days a week here in Branson and Forsyth and receive four days of food per month. They could also go to one of our outreaches which are going on throughout the month at different locations and receive another four days of food. These outreaches are called neighbor2neighbor outreach, where we partner with organizations and churches to deliver food to apartment complexes, mobile home, parks, and parking lots. For instance, if a church is a partner, they provide financial assistance to help with the food, then provide volunteers to give out the food at the event.  This develops relationships since it’s done once a month where people can help people that need help basically. We have about 45 neighbor 2 neighbor outreaches per month on top of our normal distribution points. 

We are funded by private individuals, businesses, churches, Civic organizations, senior county tax board, county government, city government, fundraisers and grants.

[Phil Lilley]

One more thing...   there's a couple of ways to look at giving people some food.  One is that it gives families food that they don't have to buy which saves them money to pay bills.  Another is, now a days, kids aren't getting fed at home.  What food they get is at school.  Two stories here in Taney County in the past month!  First, a 11 year old was suspended from an area school.  He said, crying, "I can't miss school because it's the only place I eat.  There's no food in the house."  We found out and got them food.  Another- an area school's athletes informed their coaches that they didn't have food at home and they were hungry all the time.  Now we provide food for a small pantry in the coach's office.

It's crazy to see how many kids go without food at home.  And what food they have is never cooked or prepared... they fend for themselves.

[Mitch f]

The cool thing about individuals giving to groups like this is the ability to control where the money goes. It’s getting so difficult this day and age to make a living. Even people making 6 figures struggle to get by…imagine a single mother trying to make it. 

[fishinwrench]

3 hours ago, Phil Lilley said:

a 11 year old was suspended from an area school.  He said, crying, "I can't miss school because it's the only place I eat.  There's no food in the house." 

Depending on what he got suspended for..... Potentially a REALLY GOOD life lesson.   

Taking up that slack for him might make you feel good, but it also might keep his parents lazy longer.   Probably plenty of beer in the house🙄

 

3 hours ago, Phil Lilley said:

 

It's crazy to see how many kids go without food at home.  And what food they have is never cooked or prepared... they fend for themselves.

One of my youngest daughters school bus pals lives in a household like that. Poor kid lives on raw hotdogs, Ramen, and canned corn.  We at least got her to start requesting cottage cheese, green beans, carrots, and peas instead of corn.   The man of the house works construction and her mom is a RN.   You'd think a registered nurse would possess some nutritional intelligence, wouldn't ya?     Guess not🙄

[fishinwrench]

2 hours ago, Mitch f said:

It’s getting so difficult this day and age to make a living.

Easier nowadays than it has ever been.  Don't you think?  

And single moms have it easier than anyone else.  I see that all around me.   

Bonafide excuses are rare.  

[Phil Lilley]

In the N2N program, we are using food as a tool to attempt to influence some people's life in a positive way.  The food is a draw... getting them out of the house and making contact in a positive and nonthreatening way.  We don't make any judgements to who gets food or who does not -- that's an impossible task with the numbers we see.

In most of today's apartment complexes, we don't see the "neighborhood aspect" that we used to see in our neighborhoods 40 years ago.  In the summer, we accommodate hamburger cookouts to rekindle that neighborhood atmosphere.

 

[snagged in outlet 3]

7 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Easier nowadays than it has ever been.  Don't you think?  

And single moms have it easier than anyone else.  I see that all around me.   

Bonafide excuses are rare.  

It’s easy to get a job.  But is it enough to live “well”?   IMO wages have stagnated in this country since around 1990-1995.  Yet prices for everything have skyrocketed since then.  $50k a year isn’t what it used to be.   I reference those years based on wages paid in UAW contracts which used to be quite good jobs.