The following was written by my son Jason Blumer who assisted us in applying for a grant a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, the ministry did not receive any funding but I thought this would give our readers a good understanding of our mission for the homeless in Greenville.Ministry Mission, Year Founded and Background
The stated mission of Food For Life Ministries, Inc., as agreed on by the Board of Directors, is:
Teach men to be a blessing to God and man through relationships.
More specifically,
(1) Restore men’s lives by presenting role models.
(2) Rebuild wrong thinking by the Word of God.
(3) Plant seeds of hope to bring forth fruit.
Food For Life Ministries Inc is a 501(C)(3) ministry which was started on June 1, 2002 by the President, Paul Blumer. Paul has known the plight of the homeless and their various addictions because he lived their life for many years. Paul started abusing drugs and alcohol in high school. Then after high school, that lifestyle escalated into heavier use and experimentation with more addictive drugs (crack). And as is the usual stories from those we serve each week, this heavy drug use led to the loss of jobs, housing, family relationships, etc. And this process is not simply a one-time event. He entered into a cycle of these devastating events, one always leading to and affecting the other. But on October 1, 2000, Paul Blumer was delivered from these horrible addictions when he received Christ as his Savior, and realized God’s plan for his life. From that very night, Paul has been free from all drugs and the hopeless situation of being without a home. Also, there are other devastations that come with this lifestyle (no driver’s license, distance from family members, inability to remain employed, etc.). Paul, along with an average of 12 other volunteers runs this ministry with a mission – to “teach men to be a blessing to God and man through relationships”.
Community Need
“Charles, where do you stay in Greenville?” asked a volunteer of a homeless man at a recent Tuesday Night Meeting and a Meal.
“I stay close to the bus station and sometimes in the Mission if they’ll let me in,” replied Charles.
Conversations like this one happen every Tuesday night at The Triune Mercy Center in Greenville. It seems unlikely that anyone in Greenville County is unaware of the homeless population, and the urgent need for assistance. It has been reported that there are an average of 1,600 homeless people on the streets each night, but only 1,000 beds available to them in Greenville. A lot of these people come from prison, broken home situations, drug abuse, mental illness conditions, etc. Since the Tuesday Night Meeting and a Meal was started, the meals being served have exponentially grown in a short period of time. There are now an average of 50 to 95 people being served by this ministry each week. And it continues to grow. We WILL outgrow our current location soon as the “homeless network” continues to spread the word of “free food”. And Food For Life Ministries, Inc. is responding to this need out of past experience with a heart to love those in need. The birth of this ministry is from one who was formerly homeless and on drugs.
Meeting and a Meal needs no advertising. The homeless continually spread the word where meals are being served in the Greenville community.
~Marc
