New Haven Ministries provides tons of hope

MINERAL WELLS—New Haven Ministries goes through a ton of food each week. Actually, it’s more than two tons.

The food pantry serves about 600 families a month, distributing 5,000 pounds of food a week. More than half of those served are elderly people on fixed incomes who cannot afford to drive to the pantry. In response to the need, the pantry van travels Palo Pinto County.

“The people are scattered,” New Haven Executive Director Jim Rhodes said. “They’re in pockets.”

The pantry runs off in-kind and monetary donations such as those that come through the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger. While canned goods and other items help, Rhodes said, the funds are even more helpful. He can buy food in bulk for 14 cents a pound—far below prices accessible to the general public. For roughly the price of 500 canned goods, Rhodes purchases nearly 3,600 pounds of food. 

In addition to food, New Haven also provides clothing to people in need. Giving away clothing enables people to buy food with money they may otherwise have used to purchase clothes for work.

“I feel like anything we give them helps release the funds that can increase the quality of life for them.”

New Haven’s efforts are avenues through which other needs can be met, Rhodes said.

The ministry works through a network of churches to identify people with hunger needs. If volunteers discover other needs when they deliver the food, they let churches know.

Recently, one volunteer delivered food to an elderly woman. During the trip, she discovered the woman’s house needed extensive work. The volunteer called a local church, and its members quickly attended to the home.

Rhodes understands the ministry cannot meet every need in the county, but volunteers try to meet as many as they can.

“There are plenty of great things people can do,” he said. “That’s just what I’m called to do.”

Meeting the needs of others is part of Texas Hope 2010, a Baptist General Convention of Texas initiative to share the gospel with every Texan by Easter 2010. The Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger is a critical part of this effort.

Congregations are encouraged to take a collection for the world hunger offering during the last service of months with five Sundays. Promotional materials, including videos, are available at www.bgct.org/worldhunger. To give to the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger online, visit www.bgct.org/give.