Food banks are hurting

[fltoo]

Tampa food banks are in dire need of non perishable food and I would guess that this is a nationwide problem.

If you can, drop off some canned goods to your nearest food bank. There is always someone hurting more than you. Canned meats are especially needed.

[JRScott]

I suspect this is nationwide.

In this time of economic troubles many have cut back on giving so many charities are hurting. My local church leader had challenged me to give twice as much as a fast offering which our church uses to help the poor before the new year. It has not been easy but so far I have maintained it. I don't know if he challenged others or not.

[fltoo]

I love his attitude JR and good for you for meeting the challenge.

It has always been amazing to me how high someone can reach if challenged.

Your church leader has a great insight to human nature.

[BankruptPinoy]

Feds raid area food ministry
Records show hefty incomes for family running Angel Food

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/021309/new_387439583.shtml

Federal authorities carted away boxes of documents when they searched a Walton County-based Christian food ministry Wednesday.

FBI agents would not say what they were looking for at Angel Food Ministries Inc. - an organization that supplies cut-rate food to charitable organizations nationwide - citing an ongoing investigation of the nonprofit.

FBI Special Agent Steve Lazarus only would confirm that the agency served a search warrant at the charity Wednesday.

Angel Food Ministries spokesman Ronn Torossian said the organization is "fully cooperating" with authorities.

"Our attorneys are in touch with and working with the authorities," Torossian said in an e-mail. "The Board of Directors for Angel Food Ministries has pledged its full cooperation to law enforcement in order to furnish any information requested. Attorneys for the Ministry are working with government attorneys to ensure a smooth provision of information while not disrupting ministry operations and the fulfillment of food orders."

Torossian would not comment further.

Founded in 1994 by Joseph Wingo and his wife, Linda, Angel Food Ministries began providing grocery relief and financial support to 34 families from Atlanta to Athens.

Joseph Wingo grew up in Lawrenceville, graduated with a business degree from the University of Georgia and worked in insurance before he and Linda started a congregation in Monroe, Emmanuel Praise Church, according to his biography on Angel Food Ministries' Web site.

Angel Food Ministries now serves hundreds of thousands of families in 35 states, buying food in bulk and re-selling it at less than half the retail price "to give people a hand up during difficult times," according to the nonprofit's Web site.

Boxes of food are shipped to churches and "host sites" for distribution, and each box contains a religious magazine. The organization's Web site lists 11 participating churches in Athens.

IRS agents took part in the search of Angel Food Ministries offices Wednesday.

"I can confirm we were there on official business, but I cannot comment on specifics about why we were there," IRS Special Agent Patty Bergstrom said.

But Angel Food Ministries tax documents suggest why the IRS may be involved in the case - 990 forms the tax-exempt organization filed with the government show that the Wingos and their two sons enjoyed an astonishing jump in salaries, from a combined $322,755 in 2005 to more than $2.1 million in 2006.

Joseph Wingo, as CEO, got paid $588,529; Linda as vice CEO received $544,043, son Andy as treasurer got $529,014; son Wesley got $454,653 as president.

L.M. Wingo, listed as manager on the nonprofit's 2006 990 form, received $384,694, but it could not be immediately verified if he or she is related to Angel Food's founders.

Agents on Wednesday also searched a business owned by Andy Wingo, former chief operating officer of Angel Food Ministries. He is current owner of Good Hope Food Co. in Good Hope, about six miles east of Monroe.

One charity watchdog said high executive compensations reported in Angel Food Ministries' tax records must have raised red flags at the IRS.

"The level of family salaries and loans to the family that were evidenced in these public documents would raise concerns by the IRS concerning any non-profit organization," said Dan Busby, a certified public accountant and acting president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. "It does not surprise me that the IRS would follow up with any organization that reported that type of data," he said.

Atlanta attorney A. Lee Parks Jr. thought there was something odd about the charitable group after he took on new clients a year ago. The husband and wife were fired by Angel Food Ministries in 2007, allegedly because they wouldn't attend the Wingos' church or donate 10 percent of their wages as tithes, which all employees are required to do.

James and Crystal Smith filed suit in U.S. District Court in Macon last September, alleging they were victims of religious discrimination.

"I've seen enough to know how much (the Wingos) were taking out of the company while representing themselves to churches taking their food that they were making enough just to sustain their operation and not make a profit," Parks said. "Using a claim to be a church to be tax-exempt would be fine if they were a break-even charitable organization, but they are doing better than Kroger."

http://www.angelfoodministries.com/menu_0902en.asp

Some of the comments are pretty interesting:

. I have indeed met this man (if you can call him that). Apparently no he has not changed. I have friends that worked for him. Did you realize that in order to work for him you have to turn around and give him a certain percentage of your check? Non-profit my *****. This man's family drives only the best cars and wears the best clothes. Did you also realize that Angel Food has a jet sitting at the Monroe Airport that flies this family where ever they want to go.

I have met him..Don't know him..He reminded me of a southern version of the sham wow guy on tv. Yes..he spoke of his desire to help people..didn't mention that he was a felon..though. I don't "hate" anyone. Do the people that "know him and talk about him" know that he and his family pull out 2 million/yr and masquerade as a non profit?

I've seen an Angel Food package. The food is indeed old or about to go out of date. And it's usually some off-brand or made in China. As someone here pointed out, it's a whole lot cheaper just to go to Kroger. And, in the article even one of their employees said, "...they are doing better than Kroger."

Taking 2 million in salary while claiming to be a church and claiming to be a non-profit and charitable is disgraceful. Put these crooks in jail where they belong. And just do away with the tax-exempt status for non-profits. We've got "non-profits" running retail stores, bars, grocery stores...no wonder the economy is in a rut. The legitimate taxpaying businesses have to compete with these bogus "non-profits" and "charities" who are making the biggest profits of all without having to pay a dime in taxes.

Its about time someone finally got the Wingos for who they really are. Angel Food Ministries isn't a church it's a cult. If you don't go to thier church atleast two times a week you would be fired. They are the devil in disguise. They say they are giving out food to help people who need it; but in reality their food is old, out-dated and nasty. These people have covered for so many drug dealers in Monroe its not funny. I hope that this family goes down for everything they have done.

Everybody scams the poor people. How do you think the rich get rich? They take advantage of the poor so that they can make more money. Most companies make money by having cheap labor. That is their cost savings. Just ask China

I've always thought the "angel food" thing was a scam. People pay for those food packages, and, for what they spend, they could just go buy those same groceries for the same or less if they know how to shop.

I'll relay a little common sense: If these people were actually interested in a "ministry" and helping those in need, wouldn't the unbelievably outrageous sums of money they were stuffing into their pockets (over $2 MILLION) have been better spent helping those in need?

I'll state the obvious. Folks, when your "charity" is paying you $500,000 and paying your wife $500,000 and paying another cool MILLION to your 2 children, this is a little tell-tale sign of a scam. It's also a tell-tale sign that those running the scam aren't too smart. Put 'em in jail with Mr. Madoff. Their cut from the same cloth. Once again, greed corrupts and todays ministry lesson is: Money is the root of all evil.

[BankruptPinoy]

For me, the Salvation Army is a good organization. But there food pantries are closing and/or turning people away.

It seems things just keep getting worse...

[fltoo]

Oh my, not to be a naysayer, but this is why I don't participate in religious based charities. I like the grass roots, local food banks supported by the neighborhood volunteers.

Whether guilty or not, always much specualtion on these tax free groups.

[JRScott]

I'm not worried about my fast offering. I know the church helps pay utilities/rent for those that can't that are members and give food to those that need it. Indeed most of the time we have to get money from the next church level above to meet the needs.

Oh I should note the church I go to doesn't pay the local leaders.

[Trixie007]

What sad news, especially since we've all seen the posts on this forum saying that people have been helped by this ministry. I do believe that people running a non-profit full time should get a salary, but that's outrageous! Even sadder is the reflection this puts on Christianity, since I don't believe that thumping on a Bible makes anyone a Christian - and if the allegations are true, they're not living to the standards laid out for them as followers of Christ.

[Flamingo]

You can bet the donations to Angel Food Ministries will dry up after this all gets out. Don't folks have to pay for this "donated" food also when they pick it up? This is not a non-profit but a for profit organization and it's obvious abuse is going on somewhere. Only a matter of time...When there is greed involved, it always comes out - look what happened as to sub-prime mortgages....

We are getting numerous mailings and calls to help with two organizations in our area that feed people at their location on a daily basis. Folks are showing up there who are not homeless but do not have jobs and bring their entire families to eat. Shades of the Great Depression with the soup lines. People are having a hard enough time supporting and feeding themselves and their own children and it has become a difficult situation because funds are drying up from donations that keep these organizations and their food kitchens running.