Meal-in-a-Bag

In Erath County, there are over 3,000 recipients of SNAP benefits. In November 2025, they stand to lose those benefits due to government shut-down. Around 1,500 of those recipients are children and youth. 

At FUMC Stephenville, we feel it is vitally important to help feed our community, not just those who are losing their benefits, but anyone in our community that suffers from hunger. This November, we are keeping a close eye on our regular food pantry. But we are also undertaking a new endeavor.

It is our hope to assemble and distribute 100 "meals-in-a-bag." The idea is that we put all the canned (or bagged) ingredients in gallon bag and hand it out to our neighbors.

For November, we are going to do "White Chicken Chili." Here are the ingredients we need to fill each bag:

• 2 - 15.5 oz cans Great Northern Beans
• 1 - 15 oz cans whole kernel corn
• 1 - 10 oz cans green enchilada sauce
• 1 - 4 oz cans chopped/diced green chilies
• 1 - 10.5 oz cream of chicken soup
• 1 - 12.5 oz canned chunk chicken
• 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 - packet of cornbread mix (requiring only water to make)

You can pick up your gallon bag and shopping list on Sunday, November 2. You can take as many bags as you would like to fill. You will not have to purchase the bouillon cubes. The church will provide those on assembly day.

We will be collecting these bags until Sunday, November 16. We will meet to finish assembling the bags (put in bouillon cubes and recipe cards) on Sunday, November 16 at 6 pm. 

Our distribution will be on Tuesday, November 18, at 5:30 pm, in the fellowship hall parking lot, located at 150 S. Columbia St. in downtown Stephenville.

If you would like to help us in these efforts, please call the office at 254-965-5046.