wfn.org | Loaves of Love

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
Eastern, about DAILY NEWS RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (238
notes).

Note 232 by SUSAN PEEK on July 23, 1997 at 11:26 Eastern (2617 characters).

Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT: Linda Green                              420(10-71B){232}
         Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470             July 22, 1997

NOTE TO EDITORS:  Photo available for use with this story.

North Texas congregation provides
'loaves of love' to families in need

                 by United Methodist News Service

     A 27-member United Methodist congregation in North Texas
reaches 465 homes weekly with food donated from local grocery
stores.
     Through its four-year old "Loaves of Love" ministry, the
congregation of Josephine (Texas) United Methodist Church feeds
more families over a four-county area each week than will attend
worship at the church in six months. The congregation distributes
perishable food from grocery stores in Dallas to people in Collin,
Denton, Hunt and Rockwall counties. 
     Each Saturday at 10:30 a.m., trucks unload crates of produce,
cakes and other perishables at the church. The fruits, vegetables
and other food items are separated and placed in different areas
including the back pews of the sanctuary. 
     Some groceries are boxed and bagged for delivery to 26 homes
and then at 1 p.m. the church doors are opened to families who
have received an invitation to come and pick up the foods they
need.  A clothing center also operates out of a Sunday school
classroom where donated clothes are repaired and laundered and
given to needy families.
     After deliveries have been made and the families depart the
church, the remaining food is loaded unto a trailer, driven 10
miles to Caddo Mills and distributed to people on the street.
Leftovers are then carried 15 miles further down the road to Wills
Point and given families.
     "We will provide food for 465 families a week," said Bob
Barrett, director of "Loaves of Love." He said he once attempted
to put a dollar amount on weekly distributions of food and "it
came to several thousands of dollars."  He said "the only way this
can be done is with God's leadership."
      The Josephine church has no appointed pastor, but is served
by Stan Welch, a lay speaker from First United Methodist Church,
Plano.
     Although most of the leadership and volunteers for the food
ministry come from the Josephine congregation, other United
Methodist congregations and other area churches are involved.
     "The Lord didn't say to just feed Methodists," Barrett said.
"We feed anybody who's hungry."  
                               # # #

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