News & Announcements



Manna Food Center Adds Weekend Distribution To Reach More Families In Need

The number of families coming to Manna each week are shocking and a clear indication to us that the economy continues to make it difficult for many residents to put food on the table. In an effort to make food assistance available to residents who cannot get to our Main Warehouse or a Satellite Site during the week, Manna will add a new weekend distribution option starting on Saturday, October 9, 2010. The weekend distribution hours will be on the SECOND SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH from 11:30 am-1:30 pm at our Main Warehouse in Gaithersburg. 
 
The hope is that the new weekend distribution time will help families that work during the week or that have to rely on others for transportation to have access to the food assistance they need to get through these difficult times. Client referrals must be received no later than the Friday before at 3 pm. This will allow us enough time to have the orders ready for pickup.




Manna Food Center Featured on FOX News

Manna Food Center, growingSOUL, Project Change and the Menare Foundation Button Farm were featured on FOX News in a story about how we are working together to close the food loop cycle.

Listen to the clip and read more on the FOX News website at this address:

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/maryland/manna-food-center-builds-cooperative-relationship-with-farmers-081010

 





Manna Food Center Offers Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

Read the article featured in the Gazette about the fresh produce Manna is receiving and distributing in our new Farm to Food Bank program.

 

 

 

 

http://www.gazette.net/stories/07212010/damanew232518_32533.php

 





Manna's New Farm To Food Bank Program

Manna Food Center along with our partners at Kaiser Permanente and Whole Foods Market spent a day a Red Wiggler Community Farm harvesting some of the first crops from our new Farm to Food Bank Initiative.
ABC News featured it on the July 13th evening news and a clip can be found here:
Manna Food Center has started to receive the first harvests of fresh produce from several local farms and orchards for their Farm to Food Bank Initiative. The program was developed in an effort to improve the nutritional food value of the emergency food boxes Manna provides to families in need in our community. The fact is that hunger continues to be at record breaking levels in Montgomery County, recent statistics from Montgomery County Public Schools now indicate that 31.1% of students in our county are now eligible for free and reduced price meals. This means nearly 1 of every 3 children in our community are at risk of hunger. The signs of economic recovery are not evident at the food bank where more than 160 families come to pick up food each day.
 
The cost of fresh fruits and vegetables make them a luxury and often inaccessible for families facing food insecurity. Studies show r that low income families are more likely to have poor health due in part to inadequate diets. Obesity, diabetes and heart disease are more prevalent among low income families. Manna Food Center has made it a goal to make fresh fruits and vegetables a significant part of each box that families receive when they pick up food at Manna. In an effort to have enough produce to achieve this goal, Manna purchased shares of nearly a dozen local farms and orchards this past winter to have the farmers grow an array of fruits and vegetables that would offer the nutritional value to achieve Manna’s objectives. The Farm to Food Bank Initiative was made possible by a generous grant from Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States and funds from a Whole Foods Market 5% Day event. Manna partnered with Red Wiggler Community Farm to help coordinate and identify which farms and orchards could provide wholesale product to the food bank.
 
“At Kaiser Permanente, we believe our responsibility to create healthier, stronger communities extends beyond our medical office doors,” states Maritha Gay, senior director of external affairs for Kaiser Permanente. “As area residents continue to struggle with hunger, Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to partnering with organizations, such as Manna, that strive to provide nutritional, healthy food to families in need.”
 
“One of Whole Foods Market’s Core Values is Community Citizenship; taking care of our neighbors and our environment.  This project serves both aspects very well.   Providing fresh, nutritious, locally grown food to families in need has an immediate impact right here, right now.  I have a mantra that I share with our Team Members, Customers and Community Partners everyday; Grow, Prepare, Preserve and Celebrate.  Every opportunity to share food, knowledge and inspiration are simply investments in our future.” – Mark “Coach” Smallwood, Green Mission Specialist, And Whole Foods Market.
 
Kim Damion, executive director at Manna Food Center commented, “We are very excited that these organizations have helped Manna to make fresh fruit and vegetables available to the low income families we serve. Our goal is to provide each family with 2 boxes of healthy nutritional food and also to educate them on the benefits of eating a balanced diet. No one ever climbed out of poverty hungry and we improve their ability to achieve self-sufficiency when they are in good health and eat right.”




Manna Food Center Appoints New Executive Director

Manna Food Center, a critical resource for alleviating hunger throughout Montgomery County, announced today that Kim Damion has been promoted and will serve as the food banks new executive director. Previously, Ms. Damion served as the director of development and communications for Manna Food Center and has an extensive background in management, marketing, community outreach and years of experience in fiscal management and operations that will be of great value in this key role.

A selection committee comprised of Manna’s board of directors and senior staff spent several months reviewing applicants before finally selecting Damion for this important position.  “The executive director is a key role and we were very diligent in our selection process. I am confident that Kim is the right person for the job,” said Marla Caplon, Manna’s board chair. “I am certain of her ability to lead Manna; she has demonstrated her resourcefulness, creativity, collaboration and leadership skills at the highest level while here at Manna. She has a passion and commitment for this vital service and I am excited about the opportunity to work with her.”

As the new executive director, Damion is aiming to continue to fulfill Manna’s mission and expand access to emergency food assistance to families in need in our county. “I am both thrilled and privileged to serve in this capacity for Manna. My goal is to continue to identify and remove the barriers that make access to food assistance challenging for residents in need. I made a promise to the board of directors and staff that I will run Manna with a leadership style based on the core values that I have established for myself and I believe should be the foundation of our work – service, integrity, respect, excellence, accountability and teamwork.”

“Kim’s plans for the future of Manna, both immediate and long-term, are perfectly aligned with what we had in mind, prior to her selection,” said Caplon. “Some of her projects are already delivering results and improving our work for the community. Manna’s new farm share initiative has expanded the food banks access to fresh produce for families in need. In addition, Kim has a strong desire to develop a nutrition education program for Manna’s clients. Education is at the heart of Manna’s mission and the right area for Manna to focus on in this coming year. I am confident Kim will lead Manna to the next level and help us achieve our goals.”

Damion’s experience in fundraising and community outreach has been beneficial for Manna’s and helped to raise the $1.7 million necessary for Manna to respond effectively and keep pace with the soaring levels of need last year.  In FY10, Manna Food Center provided assistance to 105,000 residents and distributed more than 3 million pounds of food to families facing the hardships of hunger.

Prior to entering the non-profit sector, Damion served as the corporate director of marketing for the Carl M. Freeman Companies, and in Community Outreach and Marketing for Montgomery General Hospital. She led marketing, purchasing and fulfillment operations for 8 years for International Master Publishers. She studied business economics at Eastern Connecticut State University and has been actively involved for the last 7 years coordinating activities for the Olney Boys and Girls Clubs recreational soccer program. She lives in Olney, MD with her husband Michael and two children Nicole and Christopher. 




US Recession Leads to Big Increase in the Number of Hungry Families

Manna Food Center was featured on Voice of America as they examined the impact of the recession on families in the US.

http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/usa/US-Recession-Leads-to-Big-Increase-in-Number-of-Hungry-Families-96801529.html





Manna's Wish List

Manna Food Center has a few items on our "Wish List" that we could really use. If you are able to donate any of these items, please contact Kim Damion at Kim@mannafood.org.
Wall mounted screen
Utility Cart
Laminator (large paper size preferred)
Folding Machine
postage machine




Manna Food Center Fresh Give Booth at Area Farmers' Markets

Manna is delighted to once again partner with several area Farmers' Markets. There will be a Fresh Give! booth at each of the following markets during the 2010 season. The community is encouraged to buy a little extra at the market and drop off a healthy fresh produce donation at the Fresh Give booth.

Whole Foods Market is supporting Manna's Fresh Give! program at several area farmers markets this year. They are holding a 5% day on May 4th and the proceeds raised from that event will be used to purchase fresh food items each week at the farmers markets.

The food that is donated and purchased at each market will be given out to families struggling to put food on the table during Manna's food distribution the following week. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often a luxury that is simply out of reach for families in need.

Sundays from 9 am - 1 pm
Parking lot off Elm St. in Bethesda
 
Sundays from 9 am - 1 pm
Montgomery General Hospital Thrift Store Grounds
 
Saturdays from 9 am - 1 pm
Rockville Town Center
 
Sundays from 10 am-1 pm
Public House Rd. & Ebenezer Chapel Drive




Planting a garden this year? Plant an extra row for Manna

Are you planting a garden this year? Please plant an extra row for Manna Food Center. We gladly accept healthy fresh fruits and vegetables all year round.

Fresh produce is often a luxury that is out of reach for families struggling to put dinner on the table. Eating a diet with 5 fruits and vegetables daily is important to good health. No one ever climbed out of poverty on an empty stomach and your garden bounty can make a real difference for our neighbors in need.

Gardening is also a great family activity and an excellent way to involve children in the opportunity to do something to help others. Once you harvest your crop you can bring your donation to our main warehouse in Gaithersburg  Monday thru Friday between 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. and take a quick tour of our facility.

 





Manna Is Running Low On These Items...

Help us keep our shelves stocked! We are running low on the following items:

  • Stage 1 Baby Food
  • Baby Diapers all sizes
  • Smilac Baby formula
  • Microwavable pasta bowls
  • Individual single serving fruit cups
  • Single packets of instant oatmeal
  • Small cans of tuna fish, chicken or other protein item

Your donations are appreciated - please help us keep our neighbors in need fed.

 





Manna Food Center Receives Nancy Dworkin Outstanding Service to Youth Award

Manna Food Center has been selected as the 2010 organization recipient of the Nancy Dworkin Outstanding Service to Youth Award by the Montgomery County Commission on Children and Youth. The award recognizes individuals and organizations whose dedication, vision and service to children and youth have made a difference in the lives of others.

The award was established by the commission to honor the past chair of the commission, who passed away in 1987. She was the director of the Center for Unique Learners, a Rockville school for children with learning disabilities. The program was established to encourage the community to emulate Dworkin's teaching philosophy of encouraging all students to develop skills and reach their own potential.

We are honored to have Manna acknowledged in this way. Our Food for Families and Smart Sacks programs are making huge strides in the fight against childhood hunger. Food For Families provides emergency food assistance to more than 100,000 residents each year, half of whom are children. Smart Sacks provides a backpack of healthy kid-friendly food to 1,400 elementary students every Friday. Most of these children rely on the subsidized meals they receive in school during the week and their Smart Sack provides them with the essential food they need over the weekend.





Manna Food Center Responds to Emergency Need During Blizzard

Manna Food Center partnered with Montgomery County Public School officials to distribute emergency food supplies to low-income families affected by the blizzard.Schools were closed all week which also meant that the many children throughout the county who rely on the Free and Reduced Priced Meals (FARMS) they receive at school to meet their nutritional needs also had to go without.

Two distribution locations were identified, Rolling Terrace Elementary School and Gaithersburg Elementary School. These locations were selected by MCPS because of their high FARMS rates and close proximity to nearby apartments where families could walk to the schools to pick up the provision. Rolling Terrace Elementary has a FARMS rate of 60.1 percent; Gaithersburg Elementary has FARMS rate of 65.3 percent. FARMS is an indicator of poverty and hunger, a hidden, but prevalent problem in Montgomery County.

Founded in 1983, Manna Food Center strives to end hunger in Montgomery County through education, advocacy, and food distribution. Since our founding, Manna has distributed more than 33 million pounds of food to more than 2.1 million individuals in our community. We provided food to 5% of Montgomery County residents facing the hardship hunger this past year.





Manna Food Center Receives $150,000 Grant from Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States

On January 12, 2010 Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States presented a $150,000 check to Manna Food Center to support two programs aimed at helping Montgomery County residents eat healthy in hard times.

"As part of Kaiser Permanente’s strategic partnership with our communities, we are addressing the immediate needs of people who are struggling to put food on the table coupled with our long-term goal to ensure access to healthy foods," explains Maritha Gay, senior director of external affairs for Kaiser Permanente. "In both hard times and good times, healthy foods are always the right choice, and we are committed to ensuring access to healthy options for the communities we serve."

Kaiser Permanente is at the forefront of national efforts to promote access to healthy foods. In continuing to fund this initiative, $100,000 of Kaiser Permanente’s grant will go towards expanding Manna’s "Smart Snacks" program and $50,000 will fund a new innovative program—"Fresh Food for Families"—a farm share program with the local farming community.

"We are very grateful for this generous grant from Kaiser Permanente. Their support will enable Manna to grow our successful Smart Sack program to help hungry elementary school children succeed in school," said Amy Ginsburg, executive director of Manna Food Center. "This grant will also allow Manna Food Center to establish a new Fresh Food For Families program that will partner Manna with several local farmers, and together we will provide thousands of pounds of fresh healthy produce to families in need."

Manna’s "Smart Snacks" program is a collaborative community effort to meet the hunger needs of children. The program pairs a business or organization with a nearby elementary school to provide a bag of nutritious, "kid-friendly" food to more than 1,050 elementary school children each week at 32 schools. The funds donated by Kaiser Permanente will be used to expand the program to benefit 1,800 children at 50 schools, each week.

In a partnership with several Montgomery County farmers, Manna will introduce a "Fresh Food for Families" program which will purchase shares of local farms specifically to grow fruits and vegetables for Manna Food Center. The program will provide fresh, healthy foods to families in need. In the inaugural year of the program, Manna hopes to purchase 80 shares of four local farms. This is expected to provide 3,000 families with approximately 3 pounds of produce per month. With Kaiser Permanente’s help, Manna will be able to supplement the shelf-stable products it already provides to clients, as well as support the community by providing local farmers with income security.

This grant is a part of Kaiser Permanente’s ongoing commitment to improve the health and well-being of its communities. At a time when individuals and community organizations are struggling, Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to providing support that helps them stay healthy and thrive.