Bezerra de Menezes Food Pantry is a social program managed by the Bezerra de Menezes Kardecian Spiritist Center a 501(c)(3) educational and charitable organization, located in Miami Fl. Through its Social Assistance Department. BM Food Pantry was founded in February 2009 to provide supplemental food to families and individuals in need, in the Miami Dade County area. Our services and products are free of charge. We are a distribution agency for the TEFAP program of the U.S.D.A. and also rely on private donations to fund this program.
Social Assistance Dept of BM Kardecian Spiritist Assc. Luis Salazar – Director Members: Rita Salgado, Felix Abreu, Marlene Alencar, Luiz Cesar Carvalho. BM Food Pantry Report: Gilberto Rustice, Luis Salazar BM Food Pantry Report is a digital periodical distributed FREE to Donors, Government agencies, Volunteers and General Public. The main objective of this publication is to inform about the operation of the Bezerra de Menezes Food Pantry and to provide news and opinions on Poverty and Hunger advocacy. You can send your comments fp@spiritist.com .
WHY ARE WE HERE? Around 400 families come to Bezerra de Menezes Food Pantry every month. They are low income families, many of which with at least one member working full time. Sixty percent of these households have members under the age of 17, and almost 30% are retired individuals. All of these people are motivated by a common goal: to receive supplemental food to put in their tables. TEFAP – The Emergency Food Assistance Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provide to BM Food Pantry about 40% of the food products needed to help our population (400 families/month). The balance must be either purchased or obtained from other sources. Goya Foods, Brex America, F. Garcia Wholesale, Jimmy Food Distribution, Tropical Supermarket and Panera Bread are some of the donors that have provided BM Food Pantry with food products, some for free, others at low cost. Many individuals contribute their time and/or money to make all of this possible. It is a great opportunity to practice Jesus’s teachings and volunteer work. Each client that comes to the door give us a chance to show that we understand the words “Love your neighbor”, or...... that we need to further develop such a virtue.
BM Food Pantry continues to try and improve every time. The aim is to provide a caring and courteous service in a familiarlike enviroment. We hope to continue doing the Lord’s job by being part of this social safety net. Our spiritual mentor, Dr. Bezerra de Menezes was called the “Doctor of the Poor” because he always had an open heart for those in need. Still today, when we elevate our prayers to him, we receive the warm comfort of his presence and love, giving us the strength to continue.
Dr. Bezerra de Menezes