Food Bank

Maranatha's Food Bank has been operational since January 2000, under the leadership of Community Services Leader Marian Crockett, Assistant Leader Janice Ellington and, Secretary Classie Holmes. With a faithful staff assisting every 2nd and 4th Wednesday, starting at 5:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., the church's fellowship hall and community services room is open to the public and anyone desiring to receive free food and clothing items are welcome.

The history of the food bank concept began in the late 1960s in Phoenix, Arizona. John Van Hengel, a retired businessman, volunteered at a local soup kitchen. He solicited donations of food products that might otherwise go to waste, and soon was generating more food than the soup kitchen could handle. He decided to set up a warehouse where he could store the donated products and distribute them to charities feeding needy people in Phoenix. The first food bank was then established.

In the early 1970s, several other food banks started in various cities as people learned of the food bank concept and copied it in their communities. In 1976, the federal government gave Van Hengel's food bank a grant to assist in developing food banks throughout the nation. The passage of the 1976 Tax Reform Act, made it more financially advantageous for companies to donate their products. By 1979, this federally funded development effort had expanded to include solicitation of food donations and was incorporated formally as America's Second Harvest. They soon became the clearing house for large donations from national corporations. The organization developed food bank standards for storage capacity, quality control, and management. By 1982, federal funding was discontinued. America's Second Harvest increased its pursuit of alternative sources of financial support. In 1984, the America's Second Harvest national office was moved to Chicago, Illinois. The organization continued to grow in terms of the number of food banks and the volume of donated food. The concept and the practice of food banking had been accepted by both the food industry and local social service providers feeding hungry Americans.

Today, America's Second Harvest is the nation's largest charitable hunger? Relief organization addressing the problem of domestic hunger by distributing one billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually. With a national network of over 200 affiliated food banks and food? Rescue programs throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico, America's Second Harvest serves approximately 50,000 local charitable hunger? Relief agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, women's shelters, and Kids Cafes. America's Second Harvest provides emergency food assistance to more than 23 million hungry Americans, including eight million children and four million seniors, each year.

Matthew 25:35-40 reads "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me...." Our encouragement to you is to allow the Lord to use you in this mighty work.