MANNA MESSAGE
May , 2019
Don't forget!! May 17th is the Partner Agency Conference - we can't wait to see you!

Parking: is in the back of the Friendship Center Building off of Brook Street, Waynesville and the building is handicap accessible.

Food: Conference registration includes lunch and coffee/snacks throughout the day. Lunch will include a vegetarian option.

Schedule                                                    
10:00-11:00am: Welcome & Introduction                         
11:00-12:30pm: Breakout Sessions*                   
  • TEFAP
  • Healthy Food Pantry
  • Grassroots Fundraising 101
  • Results-Based Accountability
12:30-1:00pm: Lunch                                          
1:00-3:30pm: Breakout Sessions*      
  • Poverty Discussion
  • Keys to Successful Grant Writing  
  • Social Media and Communications
  • Community Collaboration Models                         
3:30- 4:00pm: Closing

If you have any questions or still need to RSVP - please contact ksmith@mannafoodbank.org OR kollila@mannafoodbank.org
* Pick one per breakout session
Don't forget about this wonderful opportunity!!!
The 27 th annual Letter Carriers’ Food Drive is happening
Saturday, May 11, 2019! This one-day drive allows community members to set out non-perishable food to be picked up by their local letter carrier and delivered to food pantries. You can help by spreading the word and putting food in your mailbox May 11. Contact your local post office or check out https://www.stampouthungerfooddrive.us/ to learn more about food drive recipients and how to get involved.
Upcoming MANNA Closure Information
Memorial Day - May 27th
Closed for end of year inventory - June 24th to June 28th
Independence Day - July 4th
Labor Day - September 2nd
More to come..
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.
Important Notices from our Operations Team!
  • We are closed June 24th - June 25th for audit inventory. For any questions or concerns please click here.
  • Please follow this link to read more about the exciting new changes to our product codes!
May 2019
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:

  • Fresh Apples (37-40 pound bags)  
  • Canned Black Beans (15 ounce can)  
  • Canned Dark Red Kidney Beans (15 ounce can)   
  • Canned Garbanzo Beans (15 ounce can) 
  • Dry Pinto Beans (12 per 2 pounds)
  • Canned Green Beans (15 ounce can) 
  • Dry Navy Beans (2 pound bag)
  • Canned Beef (24 ounce can) 
  • Frozen Wild Blueberries (3 pound bag)
  • Canned Corn (15 ounce can) 
  • Dried Cranberries (30 ounces) 
  • Canned Mixed Fruit (15 ounce can) 
  • Fresh Oranges (34/39 Pounds)
  • Grape Juice (64 ounces) 
  • Orange Juice (64 ounces)
  • Dry Lentils (2 pound bag)
  • Smooth Peanut Butter (14.75 ounces)
  • Dry Pitted Plums (24 per one pound)
  • Roasted, Shelled Pistachios (2 pound bag) 
  • Canned Pork (24 ounces)
  • Frozen Pork Loin Roast (5 pound bag)
  • Frozen Pork Patty (2 pound bag)
  • Dehydrated Potatoes (1 pound) 
  • Canned Sliced Potatoes (15 ounce can)
  • Long Grain Rice (2 pound bag)
  • English Walnut Pieces (1 pound bag)
  • Fresh Milk
  • Frozen Pulled Pork (20 per 42 pounds)

*Weekly shipments of fresh milk (shelf life - 10 days)*

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 Amy Haynes at (828) 299-3663 x1234.
May 2019
We currently have the following items available in SAM:

  • Cabbage
  • Bulk Pasta
  • Crunchy Peanut Butter


More exciting items coming next quarter.
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!


Blue Jean Ball is right around the corner - get your tickets before they sell out!
When: Saturday , June 8th, 7-11 pm
Where: MANNA FoodBank - 627 Swannanoa River Road


For more information - please follow this link.
Nutrition Corner
Ugly Produce: A Cosmetic Problem
Contributed by WCU Nutrition and Dietetics student Kristen Miles

Have you ever found yourself picking through the bin in a grocery store looking for a “perfect” piece of produce, or wondered how most produce is identical in size, shape, and color? In the produce industry, uniformity in appearance is the goal; because businesses only purchase produce that looks usual, unusual fruits and vegetables are often donated to local food banks, including MANNA. These “ugly” produce items are just as delicious, fresh, and nutritious as typical produce—they just look a little different. Here are some tips to using and encouraging use of ugly produce!
  1. Be sure to wash the produce well, as extra creases and crevices can hide dirt or pesticide residue.
  2. Try a taste test and offer samples to show that ugly produce is just as flavorful as other produce! Maybe even try a blind taste test, where participants taste a piece each of an ugly and a usual fruit or vegetable without looking, then try to guess which is the ugly one.
  3.  Have a weekly competition for the ugliest produce item around, then showcase it!
  4. Don’t be afraid to trim and chop the produce, especially if it helps your family accept it. Squashes and root vegetables often have small scars or marks that can easily be trimmed away before cooking.
Recipe:
Baked Asparagus

Ingredients
1 to 2 bunches asparagus
1-2 Tbs olive or vegetable oil
½ tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Trim the woody ends of asparagus, approximately 1 inch, leaving the head. Toss asparagus with oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until asparagus is bright green and can be pierced with a fork. 
Come One, Come All - to the Nuts and Bolts of a Healthy Pantry Training:
Are you interested in building a healthy pantry environment? Do you want to help provide and promote healthy food at your distribution? Are you looking for ways your organization can collaborate to improve the health of your community? Join the Nutrition Works team for a training that we call “The Nuts and Bolts of a Healthy Pantry”. We have two different trainings coming up and any pantry staff or volunteer is invited to attend.

These trainings are a fun and interactive way to gain the tools needed to build and grow a healthy pantry. We have two dates coming up: May 9 th in Mills River or June 13 th in Burnsville. Click on the link below to sign up for a date that works for you. Please feel free to pass this link on to any of your staff or volunteers who might be interested.
Don't Take This Opportunity for Granted!
Grant Tip of the Month:
St James Charities Foundations 2019 Grant Applications:
Henderson County Partners - Follow this link to learn more.

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*
-Thursday, June 13th, 2019
-Thursday, September 12th, 2019
-Thursday, December 12th, 2019
*All orientations are held at MANNA FoodBank in Laurel's Kitchen

Important Inventory Reminders!
To ensure that our inventory count lines up with what we are actually distributing to our partner network, we ask that you all make sure to check the following when you receive or pick up your order from MANNA:
  • Check that product ordered (from your invoice) matches physical count of items you received
  • Pay close attention to TEFAP items especially, and make sure you receive accurate amounts of each item. Any TEFAP leftovers should always be directly reported to MANNA.
  • If there are any discrepancies in inventory vs. what was actually ordered, please contact Glenda Gragg (x1227) or Tim Williams (x1240).
Mobile Delivery Schedule
May - June 2019
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 May - June 2019 mobile schedule

For More information - please follow the link below:


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
Assistant Director of Mobile Programs & Agency Relations
Direct Line: (828)299-3663 x1234
Malarie McGalliard
Mobile Programs Coordinator
Direct Line: (828)299-3663 x1250



Josh Hoerman
Eastern Zone Outreach Coordinator
Avery, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey, Henderson, Polk, Transylvania
Direct Line: (217) 417-7446
Amy Sims
Western Zone Outreach Coordinator & Agency Relations Assistant Manager
Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Haywood
Direct Line: (828)399-1147
Leah Cormier
Buncombe County Zone Coordinator
Buncombe
Direct Line: (828)299-3663 x 1253



Kristen Ollila
Agency Relations Associate
Direct Line: (828)299-3663 x 1263
Kaitlyn Smith
Agency Relations Coordinator
Direct Line: (828)299-3663 x 1272
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