HIWASSE -- Healthy Living Church in rural Hiwasse has come up with a new system of distributing food from its food bank to area residents, and the plan coincides with the church's stated purpose of promoting healthy living.
According to Jennifer Leaner, the church's pastor, the organization's efforts to help the poor and hungry were being abused by freeloaders who came each week for food but did not take the church's mission and purpose seriously.
"We were getting tons of people in here every Wednesday when our food bank was open," Leaner said, "but they just weren't interested in living a healthy lifestyle and they didn't join in any of our health talks or fitness programs. It was so disappointing."
Healthy Living Church has health-related lectures on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, followed by an exercise program in the church fellowship hall, which was converted into a gym when the group purchased the facilities of the Third Baptist Church in Hiwasse. The sessions conclude with a healthy snack and a pep talk to encourage members to stick to their fitness programs throughout the week.
According to Leaner, the church wanted to help area residents live a healthy lifestyle, but the food bank just wasn't fitting into the program.
"We noticed right from the start that most of the people coming to us for food each week weren't living a healthy lifestyle," said Jim Highstepper, a trainer at the church who volunteered to manage the food giveaway each week. "Most of the folks who came to us were overweight and out of shape," he added, explaining that the church would not have a problem with that except that these people had no desire to change, exercise more and eat healthier foods.
Highstepper said that the people were also avoiding the healthier food items like carrot juice and dried fruits and complained that the church did not stock items like soda pop and potato chips on the food pantry shelves. He said they also noticed that some regular clients would take the healthy foods but then dump them out in the parking lot and only take the few items they wanted.
To solve the out-of-control problem, the church leadership decided to implement a new policy to prevent abuse and to get people on the right track to healthy living. With the assistance of Chris Tanner, a registered nurse and very active member of the church, the food bank now measures each client's weight and height to determine his or her body-mass index. And with each person's BMI, the church determines eligibility to receive free food.
Tanner explained how the new system works.
"We check the height and weight and calculate the BMI of each person who comes through the doors of our food bank for free food," Tanner said. "If their weight is within the normal range or they are underweight, we provide them with an ample supply of good healthy foods. If they are slightly overweight, we give them a bit less food and more unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices. And, if they are obese, they must ride a stationary bike five miles or walk two miles on the treadmill for every food item we provide."
"And what happens to those who cannot or will not exercise?" we asked. "We give them bottled water and a leaflet on the benefits of long-term fasting," Tanner said.
And so far the new system is working out pretty well, according to Leaner.
"We have less people coming to our food bank and the few who do come are getting in shape. And, as for the rest, they are losing weight too because they have nothing to eat," she said. "And, sooner or later, they will have lost enough weight to really be hungry and work out for a handout. Then, we will have reached our goal of promoting healthy living among our parishioners and our guests," Leaner said.
S.A. Tired covers fictitious news from an unrealistic perspective for the Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. News and views in Spinning the News are claimed by no one else but the author.
Editorial on 09/28/2016