The Department of Justice has expressed an interest in an Arizona case involving a church that has been dealing with alleged zoning code violations for a benevolence food pantry it has operated for nearly 25 years.
Read MoreWith grocery prices high and pandemic-era benefit programs ended, many churches across the nation report increased demand for food benevolence. Minneapolis Central launched its food ministry during the COVID-19 pandemic — four years later, the number of needy families relying on the ministry has more than doubled, averaging between 325 and 375 per week.
Read MoreVenezuelan and Ukrainian immigrants were among 70 families who made a pilgrimage through Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood, past dog walkers and Little Leaguers, to the church’s food pantry. Christians from a nearby high school loaded sacks of fresh vegetables, canned goods and bread into their cars or backpacks as airplanes soared overhead.
Read MoreHarvest House now feeds an average of 300 families every week, providing them with about 5,000 pounds of food. That makes it the largest food pantry in Matagorda County, with a population of about 36,000 — nearly a quarter of whom live below the poverty level, according to U.S. Census data.
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