We would like to wish Al and Ann Mojonnier, two longtime MANNA volunteers, the very best as the move on to the next exciting phase of life! Al and Ann,
thank you
for your decades-long commitment to making a difference in the work to end hunger for thousands here in Western North Carolina. We know the Tuesday morning shift regulars will miss your weekly presence, and we look forward to your visits!
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Monthly News from MANNA FoodBank
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MANNA Volunteers: Showing Up in Rain, Sleet or Snow, to Help Feed WNC
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Weekly MANNA volunteers share with us what draws them to show up, every week, to help in the work of distributing food across WNC.
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We have all chatted about the unusual winter that we have been having, with sustained periods of record-low temperatures, the unexpected ice storm on New Year’s Eve, and extended periods of rain and gloomy skies.
What we would like to add to the conversation is that, amidst all of this, we at MANNA never cease to be amazed by the unwavering dedication of our weekly volunteers and our faithful agency partner volunteers who show up every time our doors are open, regardless of rain, sleet, or snow.
MANNA Volunteers helped source, sort, and move enough food in 2016/2017 to provide 39,500 meals, every day of the year.
"This is as close as I can get to direct service to the community," says weekly volunteer Scott Williams, who has been volunteering at MANNA for almost a year.
"The people here are great to work with," says Rocky Biby, who has been volunteering with his wife Sue since 2012, "and we have met some great friends."
Those of you who have visited us recently, or are part of these regular volunteer ranks, have seen our parking lot full of volunteers’ cars, agency trucks being loaded by hand, and our MANNA fleet constantly on the move—all in the pouring rain or winter weather—and know what a powerfully inspiring vision it is to see. Through you and all of these amazing acts of kindness, we are reminded on a daily basis about what is “right with the world.”
"It's a great community of people," says Craig Morgan, a regular weekly volunteer at MANNA for more than 2 years. "Everyone is working towards the same goal; I don't want to miss a day."
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We want to take a moment to celebrate you, our volunteers, and our agency partners for bringing the heart and soul into our shared efforts to end hunger in Western North Carolina.
We as a staff learned a very important lesson early on in our history, and that is,
“If you really want to get something done, ask a volunteer or a donor!”
We applaud you all today and every day.
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Birthdays Are For Giving!
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Nothing touches our hearts more than seeing young philanthropists using their special day as a reason to make a difference. Cassie Whitmire, who just turned 6, asked her friends to give food donations for her birthday instead of birthday presents. She collected more food than she herself weighs! Thank you, John, Heather, and Cassie!!
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SPECIAL EVENTS + HAPPENINGS
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COMING MID-MARCH:
Table for Three!
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The raffle to end hunger in WNC is back for another exciting year! The grand prize, 52 meals for two at Asheville's locally loved and nationally renowned restaurants, means the winner can have a fabulous meal out, every week for an entire year!
Only 500 tickets will be available. Every ticket sold means MANNA can provide the food for nightly dinner for a YEAR for an individual in our area experiencing hunger.
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Image courtesy of Heirloom Hospitality Group
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Last year's raffle provided enough food for a whopping 168,000 meals!!!
Stay tuned for the raffle launch date: you DON'T want to miss this great chance to dine well AND make a huge impact in the work to end hunger here in WNC.
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SAVE THE DATE!
19th Annual Blue Jean Ball
will be
Saturday, June 2
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ALOHA from the Swan'na'noa!
Get ready for a tropical island vacation, right here in the mountains of WNC, with our luau-themed "party with a purpose"!
Tickets to this event sell out every year, so mark your calendars now, and stay tuned for ticket sales, starting in April!
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Walnut Cove Members Association:
Supporting Hunger Relief Efforts for Buncombe County Children
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Thanks to a generous grant from the Walnut Cove Member Association, more Buncombe County students receiving free school meals will have food access over the weekend, when they are away from the school meal program.
The $10,000 grant from the Walnut Cove Members Association (WCMA) will directly support MANNA FoodBank’s child feeding program, MANNA Packs for Kids, focusing specifically on support for Buncombe County students.
This grant provides enough food for 3,584 weekend packs for students during the 2017/2018 academic year.
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FOOD LION RECOGNIZES LOVE'S KITCHEN AS A "SOUPER STAR KITCHEN"
Food Lion
is an amazing partner in the work to fill plates across WNC. This great moment happened this week at Love's Kitchen in Hendersonville, NC, where Food Lion recognized Love's as a "Souper Star Kitchen"! Food Lion employees came to donate food and make and serve a meal to our Hendersonville neighbors. Our awesome Food Drive Coordinator, Justine, and fabulous Central Zone Coordinator, Phil, were on hand to help out, too.
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MONTHLY VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT:
MONDAY MORNING WEEKLY SORTING REGULARS
Volunteering is more than just helping neighbors in need….it’s also about having fun and making new friends. With more than 40 people on each volunteer shift, you’re bound to run into someone with whom you share a similar interest. Take our Monday morning sorting crew, for instance…who could have ever guessed that they all would have equally exquisite taste in sweaters?
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GIFTS, AWARDS + RECOGNITION
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Feeding Children Year Round:
MANNA Packs Receives Community Support
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We believe that no child should ever go hungry, and that is why we are constantly inspired and uplifted by all of the compassion that we see coming in the form of support for our MANNA Packs and Summer Packs for Kids backpack program, MANNA's direct service efforts to address childhood hunger.
MANNA believes that the provision of healthy food to children in need is a tangible, necessary, and continual outcome of our work. It is only with the support of the following organizations that we can continue to make an impact in the lives of children in need and their families in our community.
Perry N. Rudnick Endowment of the Community Foundation of Henderson County
We are extremely grateful to the Perry N. Rudnick Endowment of the Community Foundation of Henderson County. This grant funding will provide critical nutrition for food insecure children in Buncombe, Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties.
Pisgah Investments Foundation
The Pisgah Investments Foundation generous support for MANNA Packs for Kids is making an enormous impact in the lives of children in need and their families throughout Western North Carolina. This funding will provide the food for 4,808 packs, supporting 134 children each week of the 36 week school year. This generous support increases our ability to expand this program, and sustain the expansions each year.
Walnut Cove Members Association
Walnut Cove Members Association's significant contribution will provide 3,584 MANNA packs, supporting 100 children each week for the 36 week school year. Your outstanding commitment to children in need in our community will make an enormous impact in their lives and that of their families.
Joy of Childhood Foundation
Thanks to a partnership with the Joy in Childhood Foundation, and their support of MANNA Packs and Summer Packs for Kids, we can continue our work to end childhood hunger throughout Western North Carolina.
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Food Drives: December and January
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We want to thank the following groups and organizations for their efforts in collecting food drive donations to help fill the plates of our neighbors across WNC:
Asheville Community Yoga:
410 lbs.
Glenn C. Marlow Elementary
: 376 lbs.
Kearfott Corporation:
744 lbs.
Martin L. Nesbitt Jr. Discovery Academy:
428 lbs.
Merry Forest Animal Hospital:
1,082 lbs.
Kitchen & Company:
420 lbs.
Plasticard Locktech, Intl
:
684 lbs.
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As we continue to work towards our vision of a hunger-free WNC, we are building a community of individuals that are interested in taking action steps towards supporting anti-hunger initiatives. In order to focus these efforts, we want to know:
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Would you like to receive emails related to hunger advocacy actions in WNC?
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If you answered yes, we will add you to an email list dedicated to local and regional hunger advocacy actions. Thank you for your compassion for the work to end hunger for more than 100,000 people in Western North Carolina.
MANNA FoodBank is a non-partisan nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing information about hunger and the issues that affect the people we serve.
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Give. Volunteer. Advocate.
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