Crouch Leads Festival to Feed the Hungry

The Rev. Andrae Crouch gratefully accepted more than 50 tons of food to be distributed to needy Valley residents Friday during an emotional ceremony that kicked off a two-day community festival at Christ Memorial Church.

Five huge trucks were needed to deliver the food, which was donated by Feed the Children, a national food-distribution network. Christ Memorial will give away some of the food directly, but the bulk of it--mostly nonperishable packaged items such as soup and potatoes that are meant to supplement meals--will be given to other Valley churches.

Crouch, a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer who took over as pastor of Christ Memorial last year, said he was proud that his church could serve as hub for the massive distribution.

“We want this to be the start of something new in the Valley, especially in Pacoima, which has been forgotten for too long,” Crouch said.

“We’ve told Satan to look out, we’re on the warpath. We’re going to change this Valley,” he told the cheering crowd of church members and volunteers who were on hand to help unload the food.

One of the volunteers was Gene Emahiser, a retired teacher from Dallas who drove one of the trucks. Emahiser was working up a sweat Friday morning as he handed off boxes from the back of the truck.

“I knew how to drive and I knew about the need, so I wanted to do what I could,” Emahiser said. “I’ve been feeding people’s heads for the last 20 years, now I’m feeding their hearts and bodies.”

Both Crouch and the Rev. Larry Jones, who started Feed the Children in 1979, said they expect the problem of hunger in the Valley, and in the country as a whole, to get worse.

“With welfare reform and the cutback in food stamps, believe me, there are going to be more and more people knocking on church doors,” said Jones, whose Oklahoma City-based fleet of 33 trucks distributes food nationwide.

“There is absolutely no need for a child to go hungry anywhere in this country while we wait for Washington to get its act together,” he said.

Despite those concerns, the mood Friday was decidedly upbeat.

Sandra Crouch, Andrae’s twin sister, said the block party, dubbed “Help Heal Our Streets,” would feature two stages with live music, speakers, free food and a toy giveaway for children, all for free.

“We’ve got rock ‘n’ roll, we’ve got rappers, we’ve got salsa. It’s going to be a party,” she said.

Among the entertainers scheduled to perform are Billy Preston and Crouch himself.

“Help Heal Our Streets” will be open today from 2 to 10 p.m.