A Christian charity in Florida that has been feeding the poor with food received through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was told that in order to continue receiving the products, they would have to remove all religious symbols from their distribution center – a requirement the charity politely refused.
Fox News’ Todd Starnes is reporting on the Christian Service Center (CSC) located in Lake City, Florida, which has been providing food and Bibles to the local hungry for 31 years, was recently told by a state government worker that things would have to change if they still wanted to provide services to the poor.
“The (person) told us there was a slight change in the contract,” said Kay Daly, executive director of the Center, to Starnes. “They said we could no longer have religious information where the USDA food is being distributed. They told us we had to take that stuff down.”
The new requirement would force them to remove portraits of Christ, the Ten Commandments, and a banner that reads “Jesus is Lord” from the walls of their building. They would also be required to stop giving away Bibles.
A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Agriculture told Starnes they were following the guidelines written by the USDA.
“This program is a USDA-funded program and the requirements were outlined by the USDA,” spokesperson Amanda Bevis said. “This agency administers the program on the state level. Our staff did provide a briefing to CSC following turnover in leadership at CSC and did review the USDA requirements.”
Daly said that she and her staff sat in stunned disbelief as the government agents informed them of these new rules, which also forbid them to make any reference to the ministry’s chapel. They could continue to distribute USDA food as long as they did so in place that was away from anything that could be considered religious.
“We asked if we had to change the name of the organization but they said we could leave that,” Daly said. “But we had to take our religious stuff down.”
They had a choice to make – God or government food.
They chose God.
“So in a spirit of Christian love and fellowship, Daly politely told the government what they could do with their cheese,” Starnes writes.
Daly is determined to continue serving the poor and refuses to compromise her faith. “We are a Christian ministry. Our purpose is to help people in need and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are going to pray with them. We are going to offer them a Bible. We are going to counsel them in Christian help. We are going to use our chapel.”
From here on, they will walk by faith alone. “. . . (W)e’re going to trust God to provide. If God can multiply fish and loaves for 10,000 people, he can certainly bring in food for our food pantry so we can continue to feed the hungry.”
He appears to be doing just that. The public is already responding through local churches in the area that are coming forward with food donations the CSC can use to continue their ministry.
“I’m called to do what the Lord tells me to do,” Daly said. “I’m not called to worry about it. I pray about it. The Lord answers our prayers and we move forward one day at a time, one person at a time.”
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