Matthew Enchautegui

If you want to double your money’s worth for a week or two of groceries, all you have to do in Lehigh Acres is sign up andand spend$30 to get about $60 to $70 worth of food. Already hundreds of people in Lehigh are taking part in Angle Food Ministries.

“It’s real easy,” said Matthew Enchautegui, who heads up project for the Victory Christian Church off of Taylor Lane, just off Homestead Rd. by the Burger King.

“We’re celebrating our first birthday in handling this program in Lehigh. We started last October and already we have 200 families participating in the program,” he said.

Angle Food Ministries is for all people, no matter what your economic status is or whether you have a job or not. This program is for everyone who wants to save money on their groceries, and it will save you about half and the food is top choice and there are several selections you can purchase each month,” Enchautegui said.

“People can sign up online at Anglefoodministries.com or they can come to our church on the first Sunday morning or the first Wednesday of the month and sign up to buy the food, he said.

MEL TOADVINE Youth Helpers. There are plenty of teenagers around to help people take out their orders from Angel Food Ministries in Lehigh. Here they are shown taking a few moments from their volunteer help.

Hours on Sunday are from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the lobby of the church on Taylor Extension Rd., and again on the first Wednesday of the month from 6 to 7 p.m.

Enchautegui says you can’t beat the prices.

“It’s a bargain no matter which way you look at it. It sure does help during these days for every family in Lehigh because of the ailing economy. Many of the people who buy food through us are unemployed, about a quarter of them are on food stamps and the rest are people in Lehigh who want to save on their grocery bill each month.

“We’ve done pretty well getting the word out, but we think there are hundreds more in Lehigh who have never heard of this program,” Enchautegui said.

He said about a half million people in the U.S. take part each month in purchasing the many selections. Food is delivered throughout the county in about 35 states and growing monthly, he said.

Servers: Also helping at Angel Food Ministries are rom left to right, Skylar White, Jan Rusack and Dalton White. Photo by MEL TOADVINE

The program began in 1994 when Pastors Joe and Linda Wingo found their hearts going out to the families of many of the local people in Monroe, Ga., who were affected by industrial plant closings.

The Wingos bought food in bulk and were able to get it cheaper. They then sold it to their friends in the community. At first Angle Food served 34 families.

Churches in nearby areas heard about the program and wanted to become involved and Angel Food began providing hundreds of families across the southeast.

The Wingo family still maintains the national program with hundreds of helpers and volunteers all across the nation.

In addition to Lehigh, there are a couple of other locations in Lee County.

“When people first hear of it, they think they have to qualify to get into the program. None of that is true.

“We do not care what a person’s income is nor their position in life. The program is for everyone who wants to save on their grocery bill,” he said.

“I have had people who because of pride were reluctant to get into the program,” he said. But once Enchautegui explains the program is for everyone who wants to save on their grocery bill, people forget pride.

“Because it’s not about pride, it’s about helping a family manage its food budget more effectively. The money saved on food can go for other bills. And with all the economy problems in Southwest Florida and in Lehigh Acres, this program is one that everyone should consider,” he said.

Once you have made your order, you are given a pick up time, which is usually the last Saturday of the month beginning at 1 p.m. and lasting until 3 p.m. Volunteers from the church and friends stand along a long table filled with that month’s food selections and hand it to the consumer who should bring a couple of big boxes, Enchautegui said.

He felt compelled to take over the program and talked to Pastor Larry Gregory of the church who suggested that God may be leading him to this ministry.

Enchautegui is single and planning to be married soon. “I don’t know when just yet, but yes we are going to get married,” he laughed. “The pastor keeps asking me the same question.”

During the days, Enchautegui is a painting contractor, who he says has hooked up with investors up north who have bought several foreclosed homes in Lehigh.

“I fix the house up, paint everything and make sure things are right for them before they decide to sell or rent the house,” he said.

Once you go to the church, which is located in the former movie theater that was on Taylor lane, you are even helped by teenagers of the church and their friends, who don’t necessary even go to church, to take your food to your car.

“These kids enjoy it and they turn out in numbers on the day you pick up your food,” he said.

Enchautegui said that of each order, the youth group of the church gets a dollar for youth activities.

“They have all types of music, hip-hop, and rock Christian music concerts and kids turn out here in Lehigh in big numbers. Such concerts are held once a month, he said. And every Friday night is Youth Night at the church.

During the week, from Monday to Friday, the building is Lehigh Charter School and the church is in the process of purchasing the building,” he said.

The inside has been changed since it was a theater. Today the half dozen theaters are classroom or Sunday School rooms. One large theater remains and that is the sanctuary for the church or the auditorium for the school during the week.

“There’s a good relationship between the charter school and the church,” he said.

The food is handed out to the public in the large side room of the old theater. It was once a separate bar and pool hall.

“Today, it’s our youth center. They can congregate here, eat and have fun,” Enchautegui said.

“We have a great bunch of teenagers who come to church and a good group of others who help out when people come to get their food,” he said. “They are just full of fun, teasing each other and enjoying themselves.”

Recently, Angel Food extended its deadline to the middle of the month to order food. Before, the food had to be purchased the first week of the month.

If you can’t get to the church on Sunday or on Wednesday, Enchautegui suggests that you go online at Angelfoodministries.com and follow the links to the local site. You are charged $2 fee if you use the Internet, he said. You can use your debit or credit card. If you buy at the church, you are asked to pay in cash.

Angle Food has planned a Thanksgiving selection including a large Perdue roaster and all the trimmings and you can find it on the website along with October’s menu selections. Some of the selections are in the upper $20 range, especially the vegetarians selection and the produce selection. There’s even a selection of prepared meals like TV dinners that a lot of the elderly purchase.

“If you want to save money on groceries today, and who doesn’t – consider buying some of your groceries from Angel Food. It is food from brand names that are known throughout the country. And the main selection always includes eggs, milk and a dessert in addition to frozen vegetables and frozen meats including steaks, pork chops, and chicken and other dryfood items.

“The menu is online and it’s easy to get to,” he said. The deadline for October is this week, so if you’re interested, you should go online now and order,” he said.

“And remember, everyone should know that this has nothing to do with their income or their jobs or whatever. And there is a plus. If a family is on food stamps, we accept the card and the family can get twice the value for their food.

“You can’t beat this program,” Enchautegui said.

“We have some families that purchase three to five selections each month,” he said. “But one $30 selection is designed to feed a family of four for a week and a family of two for two weeks or more,” he said.

“It’s a deal anyway you look at it. And this is one way we can help the people who live here save on their groceries when money is so tight,” he said.