SONS OF THUNDER

SONS OF THUNDER MINISTRIES is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit food bank based in San Diego that
partners with its community to bring food to some of our most needy citizens. We are men and women whose mission is to serve our community by collecting and delivering charitable contributions to the needy and underprivileged in the communities we inhabit. We have been actively making a difference since we founded Sons of Thunder Ministries in November of 2008.
And to date, we have supplied and distributed more than 300,000 pounds of food, clothing, and hygiene products.. We are fully committed to good stewardship and organizational transparency.

We are a hands-on organization that makes a difference on the streets by connecting with
people when no one else can or will. We are granted access to some of the most distressed areas in our communities, inhabited by people who lack hope and find the barest of life's necessities hard to come by.

Sons of Thunder are;
Men and Women who reach out into communities in need to the hurting and hungry, who are not content to leave them in the condition in which we found them, in this process of change we are also being changed into people of purpose.

In a word, we are called to S E R V E:
S upport the needs of the local community.
E ngage the community with local outreach.
R esdistribue food, and clothing to those in need.
V alue the homeless by providing shelter.
E ncourage the hurting with heart of compassion..

Why It Matters
Hunger is no small problem, especially in southern California. Under funded state
agencies are helpless to solve the problem without a significant assist from the business
community, and well·meaning individuals can find it hard to effectively make a difference
alone. Meanwhile thousands of people live on the streets without any steady resources
or sense of direction. To those in need, food, clothing, and shelter are in short supply but
the Sons of Thunder ministries, with the help of your financial support, is able to
bring these much needed resources to those who have found themselves either addicted,
homeless, or just hungry.

How we are making the difference

In the first Saturday of each month, SOT engages in a community food distribution event for our local military families at San Diego Christian Worship Center. We have over 75 volunteers, and child care is provided for our moms who need a little grown-up conversation. Our volunteers start as early as 6:00 a.m. unloading the food from the trucks, as teams set up the tents, tables and organize the food.

We distribute approximately 4 tons of food at our distributions, with over 30+ items making up the menu, which consists of fresh produce, meat, dairy, canned whole meals, wholesome snacks, bread, vitamin

water, etc. The youth from the San Diego Christian Worship Center, as well as other youth, are also getting involved by manning the grocery carts for our military families, where they help to load the carts and deliver them to their waiting vehicles. This is a tremendous experience for these young people as they are learning how to serve others by engaging our community and taking an interest in the needs of our military families, always standing ready to lend a hand.

One of the families that has been blessed and touched by our monthly military food distributions is the family of Connie Boley, Connie is a military spouse with two young children. Her husband is currently deployed, set to return sometime around Christmas (hopefully), Connie shared with us her story, which she graciously asked us to share with you.

Connie told us that being a military spouse is hard, especially when her husband leaves on deployment for months at a time. This is when all the responsibility rests on Connie alone, it becomes an extremely stressful time for her, and any help she receives, no matter how little is always very much appreciated by her family. Connie and her children have been coming to the SOT military food outreaches for the last couple of months, and she and her children eagerly look forward to the first Saturday of each month, not just for the food but also for the great service, friendly faces and kind words from all the volunteers.
Connie says that the food she receives through the SOT distribution is high quality, name brand items, and say’s she is blessed by the quantity of food her family receives.

Connie said, “Not only is it such a blessing to be able to get groceries at the food drive, but the people and volunteers are so friendly and sincere, and that means a lot to me! You can tell they do this because they really care and they have a passion to do what they can to help.”

Connie has expressed her gratitude many times to SOT, and is ever so grateful to have just a little less to worry about when her husband is deployed. She assures SOT that the food donations we are able to give out are not taken for granted!

Currently we are able to provide some margin of relief for our front line warriors and their families, giving them, a little less to worry about, this represents over 500 family members a month and increasing.

(back to About Us)

The Many Forms of Stewardship
We try to make a difference in many ways. The hungry need food ; the lost need guidance;
the homeless need clothing and shelter; and the addicted need hope for a life filled with
purpose. The Sons of Thunder ministry strives to meet the needs of struggling members
of the local community no matter what they require.

• Food Bank Deliveries
We process food from distributors to the citizens in need in our
communities. With donations from our suppliers, we supply food
to our partnering agenies for their food distribution needs. Children
and families can also get clothing through this service. Distributing food
to people who are hungry is at the core of SOT's community outreach
efforts.

• Sons of Thunder San Diego
SOT's members minister to at-risk and substance-addicted people
living in shelters or on the street. SOT helps to get recovering addicts
back to being productive, contributing members of our community by
arranging counseling, drug rehab, and family restoration where custody
of their children has been relinquished by court order.

• 24-Hour Helpline
The Sons of Thunder also runs a ministry phone helpline that people
can call if they need to get off the street. SOT representatives can give
people directions to a help center or send out a member to pick them
up. (back to About Us)

Making a Difference in Our Community
Meeting the needs of struggling military families, single parents, the elderly and orphaned, abandoned children, is our priority. Through food and clothing distributions, community involvement and a 24 hour helpline, Sons of Thunder is making a difference in the lives of those who are finding the barest of life's necessities hard to come by.

Funding Commitments, Members, and Partners Welcome!
Sons of Thunder ministries cannot do it alone. We are seeking volunteers to help
make more of a difference in the lives of more people. We are looking for donations from corporate sponsors and the general public.

Seeking help
We are seeking corporate and individual support by donation of goods or charitable
contributions. Both are tax deductible. We can accept donations via check, credit card,
or Pay Pal. We also are in need of any vehicles - box delivery trucks, - as these will be used to directly minister and supply goods to those less fortunate here
in San Diego.

With your help, our message and our impact have only just begun! Thank you for your
consideration.