A local food distribution, which happens every third Saturday of the month from 8:30 AM to noon at Grace Church, takes place at Grace Church here in Rolla and feeds up to 600 families a month. It is called Phelps County Faith Distribution, and it is a program in the Phelps County area that provides faith-based support and food and other items to local families in need.
“In March 1999, Grace Church, a local church in Rolla, Mo., began distributing groceries and USDA commodities to needy families in Phelps County, in conjunction with The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri (Columbia, Mo.) Continuing every month since then, the ministry has assisted thousands of families with items from Feeding America and USDA,” Phelps County Faith Distribution’s website says.
Diane Hagni, a coordinator of Phelps County Faith Distribution, and a pastor at Grace Church has been a part of this since the beginning.
“The Food Bank for Central and Northeastern Missouri in Columbia contacted us about 16 years ago because there were no distribution points in Phelps County. They asked [Grace Church] if we were willing to be a distribution site. We prayed and did some research, and decided to go for it. In March 1999, we served about 90 families and it has just increased since then,” Hagni said.
Hagni was not kidding about the program growing.
“The last few months, we have averaged 550 to 600 families, which is about 1,400 individuals per month,” Hagni said.
According to Hagni, the number of families served has fluctuated in the many years the program has been around.
“When the economy went into a recession, it took about a year and a half for us to see a pretty significant increase in the number of families served. Up until a couple of years ago, we were serving an average of 425 families a month, so more than a 125 to 150 family increase in the last couple of years. It has leveled off now,” Hagni said.
Since this program is so huge, the Phelps County Faith Distribution coordinators can often run into problems.
“Sometimes, we don’t have enough volunteers, especially people to carry grocery boxes to cars. A lot of the people we serve are disabled or elderly and can’t carry their own boxes. Due to the increase in the number of people we serve, we don’t have space or truck capacity to distribute as much food as The Food Bank would like us to,” Hagni said.
Sometimes, according to Hagni, all the work can be frustrating, but it is worth it.
“Sometimes [it is frustrating], but also can be very rewarding when we see people who are really trying to make ends meet and know that the food assistance allows them to purchase other things they may need for their families. It’s frustrating when the people we serve get upset when we run out of some items, or they don’t get the same thing another family gets, and they complain.      All of us who serve are volunteers, so it can really be hard to hear when people aren’t grateful when all of us are doing the best we can with what we have,” Hagni said.
There have been many instances in all of the years that this program has been serving the community, but a couple in particular stand out to Hagni.
“There have been several instances over the years [that it has been rewarding]. A few years ago, a young man in his early 20s was volunteering and carrying boxes, and he told me that when he was a kid, if it wasn’t for the food we distributed, he wouldn’t have had anything to eat, because his family was really in a bad way. Recently, I was helping a family get their box of food and the little boy, maybe 5 years old, looked inside and started jumping up and down, excited that he had some food to eat. Sometimes you never know whose life you are affecting,” Hagni said.
Hagni is very thankful for the help the programs receives from those within the community such as other churches, clubs, youth groups, the Forest Service and other individuals and groups.
“Although Grace Church spearheads this ministry, there are so many community partners we are grateful for, including Wal-Mart Distribution Center, which provides a semi truck and driver for free for us every month, and many other businesses, churches and groups who help out. We sincerely mean it when we say we couldn’t do it without everyone’s help,” Hagni said.
Because this is a huge program that serves many families throughout our community, more help is always needed. For more information on how to help make a difference and serve the community, one should go to the Phelps County Faith Distribution website.