Manna Food Center
WISH LIST: $40: provides a 3 to 5 day supply of nutritious food for 1 family; $100: fills 20 backpacks with food so 20 children have enough to eat on the weekend; $200: recovers 3,000 pounds of food from local grocery stores to feed families rather than fill dumpsters
For some families, the barriers to self-sufficiency are formidable: skyrocketing housing and health costs, along with low wages, make hunger an all-too-common problem. And an unexpected medical bill, or a car that needs repair, can make the difference between having--or not having--enough money for food. So Manna makes a world of difference to the 225,000 Montgomery County residents at risk of going hungry (it has seen a 50% increase in the number of people turning to it for help). It distributes 2 1/2 million pounds of food to 100,000 people by “recovering” perishable goods from grocery stores and collecting non-perishables from drives sponsored by others--churches, synagogues, corporations, individuals. Dedicated staff and volunteers pack a three-day supply into two large cartons that clients (referred by more than 300 community groups) collect from any of five locations. In addition, Manna shares nearly half a million pounds of food annually with 36 partner organizations (emergency shelters, group homes, soup kitchens, and food pantries) where a lower budget for food costs means more money for drug rehabilitation, life skills training, childcare, and shelter. Manna's hard work and efficiency--a $25 donation generates $100 worth of food--hasn't gone unnoticed: winner of a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition and the US Mayors' End Hunger Award, Manna means that someone near you gets to eat. It's just that basic.
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