a Christian, non-profit, non-denominational organization providing grocery relief and financial support to hundreds of thousands of families across 32 states.
I searched online, and although many links are old, the local sites are many different kinds of churches; quality reviews are few, and only one negative comment about "preservative aftertaste" was an old article.
fresh and frozen items, including fresh meats, vegetables, eggs, and milk.
not outdated or damaged goods, fresh quality products provided by the same distributors that supply local grocery chains.
no limit to the boxes an individual can purchase, no applications or qualifications, everyone can participate in the program.
Angel Food contributes $$ for each unit sold back to the benevolent fund to further help the needy. They can be started up by local ministries and churches:
http://www.angelfoodresources.com/
food stamps are accepted for payment.
someone posted pics of a box and its contents, 2006 though: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/553865399dYWACR
ordering is planned so that you pay for food (monthly menu is described by each local site) when you order by the deadline date, then you pick up your order later in the month. it will take planning, and you need the ability to pick up (or have help picking up) on the exact date.
"Food sales and distribution are handled by church host sites. Orders and payments are collected by the host sites during the middle part of each month. These orders are then turned in to the Angel Food main office in Monroe, Georgia, on a predetermined date. Two weeks later, the host site either picks up the food from Angel Food's 160,000 square feet warehouse to fill the orders on Distribution Day or, because this ministry is growing nationwide, food is delivered to the host site by a pre-arranged delivery mode. In most cases, as long as there is a truck headed in the direction of a community who wants this program and sees its ministry influence, there are no extra transportation costs."
if you have personal experience with this, please post what you know, what you think, etc.
on the positive side: I could not find the usual blogs, articles and sites saying anything bad about Angel Food Ministries or its local program hosts, it is not a new or risky operation, it seems to be very carefully planned and administered, and it seems to be treading that delicate line between the Ag Dept (food stamps for example) and local wholesalers/retailers: maintaining consistent food supply and affordable demand without threatening the marketplace.
they also seem to be a charitable, self perpetuating process, keeping admin costs down, and contributing some income back to programs for the needy. churches that host it might not all be as committed as the few sites I found, but any big operation you find will be.
on the down side: this really is not for emergency relief, since planning ahead, and being sure you will use and cook this stuff, while "tying up" the 30 dollars per box are necessary.
shopping and cooking habits have to be changed, which will take some doing in a family (it took years to make meals the whole family likes, and a change in diet can have dramatic health effects). not everyone is accustomed or set up to use all the various kinds of foods, such as rice, beans, cuts of meat or mixes. you sacrifice a bit of brand familiarity, and presumably there is a range of quality shift from month to month (source variation) though fresh and safe.
you MUST have consistent dependable freezing and refrigeration, (even in our modern small town, I bought frozen meat sparingly or risked losing it.) if you work up to buying a month of food at a time, you will be storing fresh eggs and frozen meat a long time.
also, because they intend to pack 1 week of family meals in each box, the staples are in less practical sizes; relief from meat and fresh dairy expense should free up money for really cheap bulk staples like pancake mix in boxes, rice in bigger bags, and personal taste choices like pasta, potatoes and beans. people are able to get past this limitation by purchasing both a standard box, and a "special" box of only meat. supplementing with bulk staples would mostly feed a family the whole month: one of each box, filled in by shopping sales and specials, local produce, and seasonal/regional sources.
For anyone near this part of PA, one of the few recently updated sites: http://www.biblebaptisttemple.org/.
The main page for Angel Food Ministries has a map and locator, using your zip code. every participating local church may not have a site, but current contact information is there. it seems like the cost is $30 but I would think you get more or less in different parts of the country, where cost of food varies a lot.
"Project Angel Food" a different program, hot meals free to terminal, house-bound and needy:
http://www.angelfood.org/site/pp.aspx?c=etIQK6OYG&b=34728
(might operate only in LA, searching that)
"Project Angel Food's mission is to nourish the body and spirit of men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses.
From our kitchen, Project Angel Food staff and volunteers cook and deliver free and nutritious meals prepared with love.
We act out of a sense of urgency because hunger and illness do not wait."