fbpx

Heroes Against Hunger Awards

Manna Food Center’s Heroes Against Hunger Awards Reception honors leaders in our community who are making a difference in the fight against hunger. 

Manna recognizes community champions in the fight against hunger in three categories – Individual Hero, Corporate Hero & Community Hero. The award winners, chosen by Manna’s Board of Directors, demonstrate a true passion for fighting hunger and feeding hope in Montgomery County. 

The event features a reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages, followed by a short but meaningful ceremony celebrating our Heroes.  

Come celebrate with us on May 8th, 2024 from 6:00pm-8:00pm at Black Rock Center for the Arts 

Meet our 2024 Heroes!

Individual Hero

Sabrina Matoff-Stepp 

Sabrina Matoff-Stepp, an advocate against hunger since 2000, prioritized serving meals to homeless individuals in Washington D.C. and expanded her efforts to Montgomery County during the pandemic. Regularly volunteering at Manna Food Center’s Choice Market and Liberty Grove Methodist Church Food Pantry, she assists community members in accessing nutritious groceries with warmth and recognition. Sabrina’s commitment extends beyond direct service, actively participating in Manna’s Breaking Bread discussions and advocating for effective food insecurity programs and policies. 

Community Hero 

The Upcounty Hub 

The Upcounty Hub was founded with a philosophy centered on providing individuals and families with food and other essentials, without the need for documentation to prove necessity. They embrace the philosophy of “rising by lifting others,” uniting the community in the fight against food insecurity. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, they have served as a crucial lifeline for Northern Montgomery County, expanding services to hard-to-reach areas and providing culturally competent resources. With partnerships across food distribution organizations and collaborations with political and civic groups, they actively demonstrate dedication to ending hunger and supporting vulnerable populations. 

Corporate Hero

 MedStar Montgomery 

MedStar Montgomery, a 138-bed non-profit medical center, provides high-quality, personalized care in a welcoming environment. Dedicated to community health, they offer advanced specialties and technologies not typically found at community hospitals. Staff host an annual Food and Funds Drive to gather donations to support Manna’s school-based programs. Additionally, they have historically donated fresh produce from their garden to support a locally sourced, nutritious supply of food for community members experiencing hunger. 

What Makes A Hero?

An Individual Hero:   

  • Lives or works in Montgomery County 
  • Is an influencer, leader, and friend of the Montgomery County nonprofit food support community, actively contributing to food security initiatives and making a profound impact toward a hunger-free Montgomery County 
  • Supports Manna Food Center through investments of time, treasure, and/or talent 

A Corporate Hero: 

  • Has a significant corporate presence in Montgomery County. 
  • Has been a consistent partner of the Montgomery County nonprofit food community, supporting with food, funds and friends. 
  • Supports Manna Food Center through investments of time, treasure, and/or talent 

A Community Hero: 

  • Has a significant community presence in Montgomery County 
  • Has actively contributed to a hunger-free Montgomery County 
  • Supports Manna Food Center through partnerships and collaboration activities 

2024 Sponsors

Presenting Sponsors

Additional Sponsors

Interested in Becoming a Sponsor?

Manna Food Center would not be able to fight hunger and feed hope without support from our community, and our Heroes Against Hunger event sponsors are essential in helping us feed over 50,000 neighbors experiencing hunger. Each sponsorship level includes event tickets, sponsor benefits, and contributes to our longstanding mission in Montgomery County. Click Here to learn more.

Become a Sponsor 

***Note: You will receive tickets with your transaction receipt via email, but a formal sponsorship acknowledgement letter will be mailed to you after the event.  

2022 Honorees 

Community Hero:

The Montgomery County Food Security Task Force

The Montgomery County Food Security Task Force was created in response to the pandemic and is composed of dedicated partners of the “food systems” world, government agencies, generous individual donors, and members of the not-for-profit community. The FSTF aims for a “whole community” approach to tackling hunger within Montgomery County. Through the coordination of funds allotted by Montgomery County and the private sector, the FSTF has guided investments into many branches of the food system, intending to address the Covid emergency and chart a course toward recovery.

Individual Hero:

Aman Shergill

Aman is a dedicated community activist and member of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation who has consistently demonstrated an unwavering willingness to serve families in Montgomery County. Through the preparation and delivery of meals, home delivery of food staples and produce, and weekly grab-and-go distributions powered by the efforts of her faith community, Aman has led the way for service to more than 600 Montgomery County families each week.

Corporate Hero:

Peterson Companies

Peterson Companies has been a dedicated partner with Manna Food Center for several years. Peterson has supported Manna by sponsoring Community Food Rescue events like our Food Recovery Week activities and conducting food and funds drives with local businesses around the county. The company is dedicated to ensuring healthy outcomes in Montgomery County, where their employees and business partners live and work.

2021 Honorees 

Community Hero:

Rainbow Community Development Center

The Rainbow Community Development Center works tirelessly to promote food security in Montgomery County. Rainbow was one of the first organizations to sign up for Manna’s Community Food Rescue program. For the last 20 years, Rainbow has been providing weekly food support to neighbors in Montgomery County. When COVID-19 hit, they rose to the challenge, providing over 600,00 pounds of food to 20,000 individuals, and sharing an additional 325,000 pounds of food with 13 partner agencies. 

Individual Hero:

Bruce Adams

Bruce Adams is the founder of the Bethesda Community Baseball Club. The Bethesda Community Baseball Club has collected over 60,000 tons of food for Manna Food Center in the last 10 years. Back in 2010, Adams initiated the “Feed The Hungry Challenge”. This challenge brings collegiate baseball players in Montgomery County together to collect food, donating over 30 tons of food in the last decade.

Corporate Hero:

Cigna

In 2020, Cigna employees went above and beyond to offer health screenings to participants at the grand opening of Manna’s market in the East County. Cigna has provided financial sponsorship for our Community Food Education programs, specifically Manny, our mobile kitchen. Their partnership allows us to offer hands-on cooking classes that encourage life-long healthy eating habits and engage new communities through pop-up pantries.

2019 Honorees 

Community Hero:

Greater Washington Community Foundation

The Greater Washington Community Foundation was created to guide strategic philanthropy, provide leadership around important community needs, promote civic engagement, and inspire local giving. The core of this work is two-fold. It manages flexible, tax-smart giving funds, enabling donors to easily support their favorite causes here and around the world. The Community Foundation also mobilizes philanthropy to address pressing local needs, working toward its vision of building thriving communities across our region. Since its inception, The Community Foundation has galvanized the generosity of hundreds of individuals, families, and businesses to collectively give more than $1.2 billion to build more equitable, just, and enriching communities.

Individual Hero:

Jeff Miller

Jeff Miller created the Sam & Harriett Miller Feed the Hungry Fund in 2004 in memory of his parents. At the time, the goal was to raise funds in support of Manna’s mission. He was Chairman of the board of Manna and was also a board member for six years. Beginning in 2014, Jeff, together with Jackie DeCarlo, had the idea of creating the Breaking Bread initiative, through Manna, and to apply the funds from the Miller Fund toward this initiative. The goal of Breaking Bread is to bring people from all across the spectrum in the county to discuss and find solutions for food insecurity and hunger in the county.

Corporate Hero:

Adventist HealthCare

Adventist HealthCare is committed to identifying and responding to priority health needs and outcomes for the people and communities we serve. The Adventist HealthCare Community Partnership Fund provided funding for organizations whose activities support our mission to improve the health and wellbeing of our community, especially for those that have poor access to care and poor health outcomes. Adventist HealthCare’s partnership with Manna helped support our work and healthier outcomes for the community we serve. In 2019, Manna received a $75,000 multi-year grant to support our expansion into East County.