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by Benjamin & Mary Ann Buggs The first six months of the Faith Food Fridays ministry has seen its growth from a small section of the ministry center handing out one bag per family to hundreds of square feet of work and prayer area space, 11 refrigerators/freezers and to handing out a minimum of 4 bags per family each week.
As of December 30th, Faith Food Fridays distributed food and other items to 5,223 individuals in the Vallejo area. Our Thanksgiving Day distribution saw 145 families receive either a frozen turkey or chicken with all the traditional holiday meal items. The Christmas distribution spread across two Fridays and only through God’s grace and the generosity of our church family were we able to hand out hundreds of wrapped toys, along with warm coats, blankets and gloves to more than 210 grateful Vallejo families. This ministry averages more than 20 new families who show up every week. They are referred through the Food Bank, United Way and increasingly via word of mouth. Advertisements in the local newspaper, radio station announcements and cable TV listings have aided our efforts to get the word out so that anyone in the Vallejo area who needs help can count on Faith Food Fridays to be there for them. Our FBCV church family has donated countless food items and volunteer hours, but also a computer to get us more organized and a truck to receive the Monday Food Bank distribution. Look to see an updated ‘wrapped in FBCV logo’ Faithmobile in future updates!
Faith Food Fridays’ mission is to show the God’s through assisting struggling families with not only physical assistance: food, clothing, and personal care items but most importantly through offering encouragement and prayers to share the Gospel and let them know how much God loves them and has a wonderful plan for them. Faith Food Fridays is excited to see what God has in store for us in 2012 and we ask that you keep us in prayer as we serve more of our neighbors for His glory. We have grown to know our community and have seen many attend Sunday services or events such as Candy Cane Lane and enjoy the loving Faith Bible Church spirit that we share every week. We give honor to ALL of those who so faithfully help us serve with the true spirit of Godly love that can only honor our Father in heaven!
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