Start now. Your church probably has folks that need a leg up every once in a while. Our church started a food closet. Before the Wuhan attacked, we would announce what food stuffs (all shelf stable) were needed. Pretty soon we had quite a inventory. We rotated stock as used and were able to help folks that fell on hard times. As things got short, we’d tell the congregation what was needed. Most folks are good people, and will be able to help in small amounts without worry even when things get limited at the store. When that is spread across a congregation, no one has to feel the pinch to help others.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
For meat and fresh foods… We had the congregation donate gift cards that could be used to purchase those. When stuff is short, this did not fix it all, but we did what we could. The common gift was $25 gift cards.
we made the Pastor the point of contact. This provided those who needed to ask a semblance of discretion so they wouldn’t be embarrassed to ask. It also allowed the Pastor to identify folks who chronically needed financial help so their needs could be addressed with counseling and guidance. It also mitigated abuse by those that would take advantage of peoples’ generosity.
Did not address the possibility of government confiscation. Frankly, if that is a possibility, then there are bigger problems. I would think smaller caches amounts across the congregation to mitigate that threat.