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Chose to Give

Notes from the CEO – Jackie DeCarlo

With Thanksgiving falling late in November, it feels to me like we celebrated one holiday and then, with the quick turn of the calendar page, we are in a whole new season already! I hope you had a chance to pause and savor an abundant and tasty Thanksgiving. As a Manna Food Center supporter, you can be assured that thousands of your neighbors were grateful for the services Manna provides. One woman left our marketplace Thanksgiving Eve saying to me, “Thank you, thank you, thank you…you just don’t know what this means. You just don’t know.” I want YOU to know that because of your generosity, Manna Food Center was able to offer good food in welcoming spaces to everyone who turned to us—1,158 people Thanksgiving week alone!
Last Tuesday was another celebration — Giving Tuesday. We celebrated giving back to the community and many of you showed their generosity with financial donations to Manna Food Center. Your support helps us replenish our shelves and fill our fridges with food. Your donations also make it possible for us to educate neighbors on how to prepare healthy holiday meals (Link to Cynthia’s blog post) and open our spaces to groups sharing skills such as GED tutoring, breast-feeding tips for new moms, and English language learning for adults.
The Giving Tuesday holiday also means the clock is ticking for end-of-year contributions. Depending on your age, your tax status, and other circumstances, there may be financial incentives to gifting required-minimum distributions or other contributions to Manna Food Center. Some individuals and families designate donations from Donor Advised Funds at the end of the year. (Link to Manna page as appropriate). Last month we shared tips from Rebecca Rothey, Vice President of Development and Senior Philanthropic Advisor at the Greater Washington Community Foundation. If you didn’t have a chance to act with those tips in mind, now is the time to do so!
However you chose to give, on behalf of the Manna Board, staff, and volunteers I want to thank you for giving us so much. As we gear up to end the year strong, I am so aware we could not serve without you. Thank you for being part of our team as we create together a community where there is Food for All.