Move over, Angel Food. Another food ministry is selling discounted food to anyone looking to save money in these tough times, and its national offices are based just east of Portage County.

Great Food for All, a national ministry based in Newton Falls, recently began offering food to local residents at a discounted price.

Like Angel Food Ministries, another national organization, Great Food for All sells boxes of food to people, regardless of income, looking to stretch their food dollars. Both ministries provide packages of food valued at $60 to $80 for sale at $30.

However, the ministries differ slightly in their menu and distribution methods.

"Great Food offers an alternative to families," said Shawn Price of Great Food for All. "Our box is mostly meats and large portions of vegetables. The filler items you can pick up for a buck at the dollar store, you're not going to find that in our boxes."

A "big box," which includes items such as 5 pounds of chicken breast, a 4-pound ham and a 5-pound bag of frozen corn, sells for $30. The ministry also offers an "empty nester" package for smaller families for $18. Those who purchase either box are eligable to purchase various boxes of specialty items at around $20 or less. They include a "cheesecake box" which features two large boxes of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory, a breakfast box, a kid's box and a pasta box.

Local host churches include Aurora United Methodist, Praise Assembly of God in Garrettsville, Charlestown United Methodist, Ravenna First Church of God, Ravenna First Nazarene and Grace Church of Rootstown. There also are host sites in Hartville, Akron, Cuyahoga Falls and Newton Falls.

Angela Burkhardt of Ravenna First Nazarene said many people appreciate the box of several cheese-filled pasta items, which she suspects are in deference to people looking for vegetarian options. The cheesecake boxes have been offered before and were a big hit.

"I'm e-mailing them to say that they might want to keep the pasta boxes in mind for Lent, for people who don't eat meat on Fridays," she said.

The church previously served as a host site for Angel Food and switched to Great Food after representatives of the new agency approached the church.

Volunteers gather at the church to unload a semi at 6 a.m., and other churches come to the parking lot to pick up their orders. The food comes pre-boxed, meaning fewer volunteers are needed for distribution.

"We did the other program for a year and a half," she said. "So far for us it's been really nice. We used to have tons of cardboard, and we don't have that anymore."

The church will be taking orders through Jan. 6 for its Jan. 17 distribution. Orders can be paid in advance using cash, credit, debit cards or food stamps. The church takes orders from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Jan. 3, from noon to 1 p.m. Sunday, and during the evening on Dec. 30 and Jan. 6.

Anyone can order, Burkhardt said.

"There is not a person out there who does not need to save some money," she said. "My husband and I both work, we don't have kids and we can still stand to save some money. We can put it to better use somewhere else."

Price, of Great Food, said the program is set up to minimize the work load on host sites, and any non-profit agency can sign up to become a distributor.

Currently, the program is available in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia. Indiana is joining the program in January, and other states are waiting to join. Most host sites come about after someone from a church finds the program's web site, www.greatfoodforall.com.

"We have the ability to respond to customer feedback," Price said. "If it's popular, we'll run it more frequently."

This month, frozen, boneless skinless chicken breast is being offered after customers said they prefer for their meat not to be breaded or seasoned in advance, Price said.

The service, made possible through volunteer labor and buying in bulk, is becoming more popular as the economy worsens.

"We're seeing a lot of situations where people who would normally not have a need are starting to look at their grocery bill," Price said. "It's not a hand-out. You're always going to have quality ... If I won't eat it, I'm not going to sell it to somebody."

A host site in Streetsboro soon will be added, Price said, and there is always room for more.

"Several areas are under served," Price said. "We hope if people are interested in becoming a host site, they'll check out our web site or give us a phone call."