Blog Archives

Ministries Unlimited Thought For The Week (#13)

August 4, 2025

The words we use to describe assistance matter — they can either lift people up or push them further into shame.  For generations, phrases like “handout” or “the needy” have shaped a judgmental attitude, stripping individuals of dignity.  If we want to help more families in our community, we must start by changing both our language and how we serve.  Change doesn’t happen overnight — but small, steady steps make a lasting difference.  Just like a child learning to walk, we’re working to change how we serve, hoping our community embraces this shift toward dignity and empowerment.

When I became Director, I asked myself, “Are we living up to the name Ministries Unlimited?”  How could we make a lasting impact beyond handing out food?  I started researching and noticed that many pantries were shifting from pre-packed boxes to a grocery-store model — allowing families to choose the foods they needed. This not only saved money but gave people the power of choice.  We added perishable items to every visit — 2 proteins, milk, eggs, cheese, bread, and other items donated from our local grocery markets.  We also offer fresh produce when the community gardens are in season.  This month I attended an open forum on how foodbanks, farmers, meat producers, and grocers can work together to provide fresher items to community pantries.  This way items received for distribution are not just the short dated, seconds, or cast offs.  The goal is to provide items similar to those in a grocery store.  This is a long process and relies heavily on grant funding, networking, and constructive feedback.  The monthly Food Access Resource Markets (FARMs) sponsored by St. Louis Area Foodbank is a great example of this process.  They contract with local farmers and meat processing plants to provide items as fresh as possible for each FARMs distribution.  

But food is just one piece of the puzzle.  As a community resource center, we can also be a place of learning.   The proverb, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime" emphasizes the importance of empowering individuals with skills and knowledge rather than providing temporary assistance.  We want to provide temporary assistance while empowering individuals with the skills for budgeting, healthy eating, and job finding.  Looking ahead to our new building, our potential to serve — and empower — truly becomes unlimited.