By Danny Federico Riverbend News
“To enrich the quality of the lives of veterans, disabled individuals and families by providing temporary housing, nutritional meals, hygiene essentials and a variety of other services, along with literature using the ministry of God's word.” (Alms Ministry, Inc., mission statement)
“Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, 'Open your hand to the poor and the needy neighbor in your land.'” (Deuteronomy 15:11)
Alms Ministry, Inc., is a group following the will of God by spreading His word to those they reach and providing necessities and more for those in need. Alms Ministry, Inc., was established by Jennifer Johnson-Jamison in 2011. However, the idea for the ministry was formed years before, after the loss of her husband, Lee, who was working as a civilian contractor in Kuwait.
“He was a mechanic with Lockheed Martin and when he was abroad, I would send him care packages,” said Johnson-Jamison. “He would call me and ask 'Could you send me an extra care package?' He said, 'Jennifer, there's a lot of people over here that don't hear from their families.'” Johnson-Jamison's husband, Lee, was a civilian, but worked with the soldiers abroad. “So, he said, 'When you start sending me one, as long as we can afford it, could you send me two?' So I said, 'Okay.'”
Johnson-Jamison recalled when her husband called, wanting only one thing in one of the care packages: a bar of either Irish Spring, Ivory or Dove body soap. Lee told her the soap the soldiers were using was so rough, it was causing them to break out. Johnson-Jamison said she sent approximately 48 bars of soap in the next care package.
“He said, some of the men, after they took a shower, they just came to him and said, 'When you see your wife, hug her for me,'” said Johnson-Jamison.
Years after her husband's passing, once she followed the seed planted years before, Johnson-Jamison formed Alms Ministry, Inc. While the name is one many may have heard of, Alms Ministry, Inc., goes further than simply providing food or personal care items. Unlike most places that ask for personal information, such as income, Alms Ministry, Inc., doesn't ask for anything other than how many people are in a household, if there are any allergies and if there is something you need more than anything else.
Alms Ministry, Inc., has many different care kits available to help individuals and families during their time of need. Their basic care kits are a personal care kit, a linen kit, a laundry care kit and a food kit. A personal care kit will contain soap, shampoo, wet wipes, a toothbrush, deodorant, any feminine products for those who need them, along with much more. A linen kit includes a blanket, a pillow, a pillow case and two towels and two wash cloths and a laundry care kit contains laundry detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheets. A food kit is packed with enough components to make a meal for a family of four. Of course, each kit also receives literature containing the word of God, either in the form of a bible, pamphlet or card. While there are kits including just laundry supplies or food, Johnson-Jamison states the components making up each kit are interchangeable.
“It depends on the need,” said Johnson-Jamison. “You may need laundry detergent, but no dryer sheets or you may need food and personal care kits.”
One of their most distributed care packages are the ones sent monthly to active service members, both local and abroad. These kits include various types of literature, CD's with music or a sermon delivered by the pastor of Branford Church of God, body soap, a washcloth, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a toothbrush holder, wet wipes and even a writing kit of paper, envelopes, a pen and stamps. These care packages are distributed by Alms Ministry, Inc., in conjunction with the Military Support Group of Alachua County.
However, kits aren't the only thing Alms Ministry, Inc., does. Johnson-Jamison and many local volunteers also provide fresh-cooked meals on a monthly basis for the Ronald McDonald House of Gainesville, the Fisher House of Gainesville and the Heart of Florida Youth Ranch. They also provide frozen meals for K9's for Warriors of Alachua every month. In addition, they provide food boxes to local fire departments, police departments and individuals in need for Thanksgiving and Christmas. A few of the fire and police departments they service are Fort White, Branford, Beachville, O'Brien, High Springs and many other rural areas.
Alms Ministry, Inc., has volunteers from all over the State of Florida, including Hamilton, Lafayette and Suwannee Counties. These volunteers work tirelessly to provide anything to those in need, be it food, laundry supplies or even furniture. When the ministry first started out in 2011, Johnson-Jamison stated they were able to donate 30 boxes of food to those in need; in 2020, they donated over 700 boxes. The ministry is growing rapidly and Johnson-Jamison stated they are beginning to provide more resources than can be stored in their base at Branford Church of God.
Now, they're looking for a new location to expand to, with the ultimate goal of having satellite locations all over the area, making it easier to reach out to those in need. Johnson-Jamison said they'd like to expand their ministry to a location with multiple rooms, allowing them to section out their items. This, she said, would allow those in need to go “shopping” for the items they're most in need of without having to pay a cent.
“One room would have clothing, another would have dishes and cookware, one would have furniture and so on,” said Johnson-Jamison. “If you lost your house in a fire, you have nothing. If we had a building that we could separate and section out, all we'd have to do is open the door and say, 'Pick what you want and if you have no way to get it, we have a 14-foot flat-bed trailer, we'll follow you home and we will deliver it to your door, just go shopping.'”
However, Alms Ministry, Inc., does not receive any money for the products they donate. Everything they donate has, itself, been donated to them and any monetary donations made go toward purchasing items to give out. Johnson-Jamison said, if someone would allow them to move into an empty or unused building, even if just for six months, it would allow them to provide resources to people in need using this new format.
“If someone could donate a physical location for us to use until we are capable of getting a bigger place, we'd be able to expand and accommodate people in need,” said Johnson-Jamison. “That'd also give us the chance to get some donations going on to where we can purchase land and a building.”
As of now, Johnson-Jamison has had a whole house worth of furniture donated to the ministry, but there is not near enough room for them to store the furniture. Johnson-Jamison stated she and her volunteers are currently carrying donated items in the trunks of their cars and storing items in any open spots they can find in their own homes until a need arises.
“I've been praying 'Lord, I know you wouldn't have provided this furniture to Alms Ministry, Inc., if you're not going to provide the land or building,'” said Johnson-Jamison.
If anyone is willing to provide a space for this ministry to use for free, even if only for a short time, please contact Jennifer Johnson-Jamison at (352) 214-2936 or almsministry@ymail.com. Of course, donations of nonperishable food supplies, drinks, laundry supplies, toiletries for both men and women, linens and other items are always welcome. For those interested in making monetary donations to Alms Ministry, Inc., please visit almsministry.org/donate. To learn more about Alms Ministry, Inc., or to find out how to become a volunteer, visit almsministry.org.