A $2,000 Matthew 25 Grant from American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) to Westview Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Ind., is providing Wednesday evening meals to 90 to 135 disadvantaged people in the church’s community.

Hungry? How do some of these menu items sound?

Stuffed chicken breast, green beans, mashed potatoes, rolls and butter, cake and beverages.

Or…roast pork loin, scalloped potatoes, apple sauce, rolls and butter, yellow cake with chocolate icing and beverages.

Sloppy joes, baked spaghetti, turkey tetrazzini or tacos make up some of the other selections.

“We also make things like breakfast casseroles, pancakes with sausage, hash browns, grilled cheese sandwiches, chili and miscellaneous homemade soups to make a complete meal including dessert and beverages,” says Janet Taylor, who helps coordinate the initiative.

“We use our money wisely,” Taylor says. “We watch for meats to go on sale, and we stock up on them. We make our own desserts, which also saves money over using already prepared ones. We try to economize every way we can to stretch our dollars but yet provide a good meal.”

“Our bread ministry helps,” Taylor explains. “We use the bread and rolls and sometimes dessert cakes for our dinners, and they are donated to us for our program. We have purchased lunch-type trays to save money on paper goods as well as trying to be environmentally conscious.”

“Our church is small, but we are mighty in the love of the Lord and doing God’s works among those less fortunate,” Taylor says. “We thank you for this wonderful gift to help us continue to serve our Lord and what he has called us to do. Please keep us in your prayers!”

The Matthew 25 Grant initiative, sponsored by American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) and the Board of General Ministries, is funded by a generous, anonymous donor whose goal is to help meet the needs of “housing, feeding, education and health with regard to the less fortunate.”

The application process for a Matthew 25 Grant is structured to help small ministries with limited staff time. For more information on the Grant and application process visit: www.abc-usa.org/matthew25/.