MANNA MESSAGE
July, 2018
Agency Spotlight: Feeding Avery Families Transitions to Client Choice to Better Serve Those in Avery County
Contributed by MANNA's Agency Relations Admin. Volunteer Elizabeth Nunnerley
“It’s a win all around,” said Dick Larson about the benefits of moving the food distribution system for Feeding Avery Families from pre-boxed to client choice. Dick explained that it’s not merely creating a method of tailoring food for clients. Client choice will allow them to offer many other services including a lending library for children, advice on food allergies and intolerances, obtaining kitchen equipment, and even a pharmacy.

Contingent upon funding approval, client choice is slated to begin in October. Currently, with pre-boxed, the distribution is only available one day of the month. When client choice is implemented, distribution will be provided one day a week!

At Feeding Avery Families, the change to client choice will create a more consistent diet of proper nutrition, as well as improve the overall health and quality of life for residents of Avery County.
Plan Ahead! Important Upcoming Closure Information
  • WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2018 (INDEPENDENCE DAY)
  • MONDAY, JULY 23, 2018 (PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING DAY FOR ALL MANNA STAFF MEMBERS)*
  • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018 (LABOR DAY)

*Due to this closure, Monday shoppers should plan to shop double on Monday, July 16 and order heavy on their online order that is picked up on July 16.

Please plan accordingly and be sure to consider these closures when shopping and placing your online order. Contact Glenda Gragg if you have any questions at 828-299-3663 x1227.
Do you serve Seniors and/or disabled clients at your pantry? If so, we have an opportunity to share with you! United Healthcare launched a new product this year for individuals who have both Medicaid and Medicare – the plan is called the UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete . This is a plan at no cost to beneficiaries, and it provides additional healthcare coverage like transportation assistance, a personal emergency response system, dental coverage, over the counter health products, and a lot more.
 
If you have clients who could benefit from this resource, please be in touch with James Carter. James is the community outreach representative for the western part of the state and his team welcomes a conversation to see if this resource is a good fit for your clients. James can be reached at (828) 301-2894. James and his team can share information with your clients in a way that you are comfortable with (tabling, one on one help, hosting events).
 
Feel free to explore the links below for resources like the UHC benefits brochure that highlights the new benefit package and will give you an idea of the work UnitedHealthcare is doing here in NC as well as the latest Senior Report. This report helps Community leaders better understand the states success as well as challenges among our seniors. As always, thank you for caring for and supporting your community!
Link to UHC Newletter HERE
Link to NC Senior Report HERE
Link to UnitedHealthcare Benefits Brochure HERE
Nutrition Corner
"To-may-to, To-mah-to"
Contributed by WCU Nutrition and Dietetics student Kristen Miles
One of the most common summertime produce items is the tomato. Though it is technically a fruit, tomatoes are usually eaten with vegetables, used to make sauces, or eaten raw. Tomatoes are tastier—and cheaper—when they are bought and eaten in-season, which is typically mid- to late-summer here in NC. Tomatoes have lots of vitamins C, A, and K, which help give us healthy skin, eyes, and blood. They also contain something called antioxidants, which help keep our cells from becoming cancerous! Finally, tomatoes have a lot of potassium, a mineral important for kidney and heart health. Tomatoes are a nutritious summer food that can be added to lots of different kinds of recipes!
July 2018
TEFAP items become available on a first-come, first-serve basis when they arrive at MANNA. All items may not be available for the duration of the month and quantities are subject to change. The following items are scheduled to arrive this quarter:

  • Apple Juice
  • Dried pinto Beans
  • Dried Red Beans
  • Cereal-Oat Circles
  • Grape Concord Juice
  • Milk
  • Canned Pears
  • Canned Potatoes
  • Smoked Turkey Breast
  • Canned Mixed Vegetables

What's TEFAP , you might ask? T he E mergency F ood A ssistance P rogram is a federal program (also known as "commodities") that comes from the Farm Bill. This program is limited to pantries only and allocated by county. Pantries must apply and be approved to administer this food. For more information on becoming a TEFAP agency, contact Luke Allison at (828) 299-3663 x1247.
July 2018
As we wrap up this fiscal year, we will be reviewing and purchasing new SAM product in late summer, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, we still have Dried Pinto Beans available to order.

What's SAM? SAM is an acronym for State Appropriated Money and it is a state funded nutritional food program. Although the name has changed, the program is still the same!

These products are available to order at no cost, so be sure to take advantage of this great program!
Summer Meal Site Resources
Click here for a printable version to share with clients at your pantry
Other summer meal site resources:
Funding Opportunities Still Available
Don't Take These Opportunities for GRANTed!
Offers grants to affiliates located in North Carolina's western most counties. *Be sure to review the guidelines for these grant opportunities very carefully*

Other Helpful Grant Resources
MANNA Partner Orientation
Are you or someone at your agency interested in attending an orientation session? If so, please select a session from the options listed on the sign-up form by clicking the "Sign-Up Here" link to the right.
Upcoming Orientation Dates*
-Wednesday, August 8th, 2018
-Wednesday, December 12th, 2018
-Wednesday, March 13th, 2019
-Thursday, June 13th, 2019
-Thursday, September 12th, 2019
-Thursday, December 12th, 2019
*All orientations are held at MANNA FoodBank in Laurel's Kitchen
Mobile Delivery Schedule-July-September 2018
REMINDERS: Before dialing up the driver, remember: Every time someone calls, they must pull off the road to answer the phone, causing additional delays. If you have any questions, contact our Warehouse Manager Lee Short at (828) 299-3663 x1260.

Please ask your volunteers to allow a 30 minute window before and after your expected MANNA delivery. Our drivers work very hard to arrive on time, but they may experience unforeseen setbacks while on the road. Giving them this window helps them to stay on track.

Click here to view the July-September 2018 mobile schedule
Food and Nutrition Services Helpline
Need more MANNA Food Helpline Posters?

MANNA Food Helpline promotional materials are now available for order! Packets include 25 small posters (with phone number tear offs) and 100 business cards. If you need other materials or different quantities, please contact your zone coordinator.

MANNA Helpline information is
free and confidential!

Amy Haynes
Agency Relations Manager
Email: ahaynes@mannafoodbank.org
Direct Line: (828)299-3663 x1234
Malarie McGalliard
Agency Capacity and Compliance Coordinator & MANNA Express Coordinator
Email: mmcgalliard@mannafoodbank.org
Direct Line: (828)299-3663 x1250


Josh Hoerman
Eastern Zone Outreach Coordinator
Avery, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey
Email: jhoerman@mannafoodbank.org
Direct Line: (217) 417-7446
Phil Carland
Central Zone Outreach Coordinator
Henderson, Polk, Haywood, Transylvania
Email: pcarland@mannafoodbank.org
Direct Line: (828) 290-5937
Amy Meier
Amy Meier
Buncombe County Outreach Coordinator
Email: ameier@mannafoodbank.org
Direct Line: (828) 299-3663 x1253
Amy Sims
Western Zone Outreach Coordinator
Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Swain
Email: asims@mannafoodbank.org
Direct Line: (828)299-3663 x1279
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:
Would you like to receive emails related to hunger advocacy actions in WNC?
Yes
No
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.

627 Swannanoa River Road
Asheville, NC 28805-2445

Phone: 828-299-3663
Fax: 828-299-3664