MANNA MESSAGE
January, 2019
New Year, New Staff Announcements!
How is MANNA going to better serve you?
With the growing food need in Western North Carolina, MANNA is adding a few new members to our Agency Relations team so we can better serve you.

Welcome Leah Cormier, our new Buncombe County Zone Coordinator! Leah has been with MANNA for two years as the Volunteer Center Supervisor. "I am excited to get to work closely with my agencies and get them the things they need in an efficient manner."

Welcome Kaitlyn Smith, our new Agency Relations Coordinator! Kaitlyn has been working part time in our Volunteer Center and has officially been hired on full time. "It is an honor to be a part of the work to end hunger in Western North Carolina. I'm excited to learn more about our partner agencies!"

Welcome Kristen Ollila, our new Agency Relations Associate! Kristen has been working with MANNA since August through the Americorps program. "I am so grateful for the opportunity to get to work closely with our partner agencies."
Where did everyone else go?

Malarie McGalliard will be moving out of Agency Relations to be the full time Mobile Programs Coordinator. She is not leaving MANNA, just moving departments.

Phil Carland is moving from being the Central Zone Coordinator to being full time with the food and nutrition services outreach team as the Community Outreach Coordinator for all 16 counties in our service area.
‌

Josh Hoerman will continue to serve as the Eastern Zone Coordinator. He is taking on Henderson and Polk for his service area.

Amy Sims will continue to serve as the Western Zone Coordinator. She is taking on Transylvania and Haywood County for her service area.
Sign Up Now for TEFAP Civil Rights Training
Please join us for our annual TEFAP Civil Rights training session with your NCDA field representative, Brandy Starnes! This annual training is required for TEFAP agencies, including all staff and volunteers who interact with TEFAP recipients. Brandy will provide a "train the trainer" so you are prepared and confident to go back to your agency and share this information.
Snacks will be provided. Please RSVP HERE by Monday, January 7th, 2019.
Upcoming MANNA Closure Information

January 21, 2018 MLK Day
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.
Inclement Weather Information

1) Using your mobile device, you can sign up to receive text updates about MANNA weather delays & closings. To subscribe to these updates, text APPLE to (828) 348 -5883

2) Or, call MANNA at 828-299-3663 after 6:30 a.m. You will hear a message with information regarding MANNA weather-related delays or closings. It will also indicate the status of our mobile deliveries for that day. The message will ask agencies receiving a mobile that day to call Warehouse Manager Lee Short at 828-299-3663 x 1260 if they aren't able to meet the truck.
Nutrition Corner
New Year, New Me?
Contributed by WCU Nutrition and Dietetics student Kristen Miles
           The start of a new year gives us the opportunity to reflect on our previous year and set new goals for the year ahead. For many people, this means setting fitness and diet-related goals. If you are looking to change your diet this year, there are some things to keep in mind that will set you up for success.
  1. Start with one or two small goals that you feel capable of achieving. For example, aim to eat one vegetable every day with your lunch, or swap out one soda a day for water or unsweetened fruit juice. Make your goal realistic and something that you are excited to change!
  2.  Share your intentions with those close to you, whether friends, family, or coworkers. Talking about our goals helps keep us accountable. Better yet, maybe you know someone who wants to make the same change!
  3. Focus your efforts on including more healthy foods and habits rather than excluding unhealthy ones. If you want to improve your diet, for example, focus on including more healthy food in your diet rather than removing unhealthy foods.
  4. Remember that not meeting your goal does not make you a failure! If you don't succeed right away, try again! Maybe you would benefit from setting a smaller goal to begin, or maybe an entirely new goal is for you.
15-Minute Chicken Pasta (from gimmedelicious.com)
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken breasts cut in strips
  • 1/2 bell pepper cut in strips
  • 2 cloves of garlic diced
  • 1 cup marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella or Italian blend cheese 
  • 3 cups cooked pasta 1.5 cups dry pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
  •   In a medium sauce pan bring 2 cups of water to boil, pour 1.5 cups of uncooked pasta and 1 tsp salt into the water. Cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
  •  While the pasta is cooking, cut chicken breasts and bell peppers into strips. Heat pan and pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into pan, add chicken, garlic, and sliced bell pepper, saute for 5 minutes.
  •  After 5 minutes add the marinara sauce and allow to simmer for 5 minutes while the pan is covered. After 5 minutes, drain the water from the pasta and pour pasta on the chicken mixture. Mix well, add the cheese and turn off. The cheese will melt from the heat of the pan.
  • Enjoy!
January 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:

  • Canned Applesauce (15 ounce can)
  • Canned Red Kidney Beans (15 ounce can)
  • Dry Split Peas (2 pound bags)
  • Dry Navy Beans (2 pound bags)
  • Whole Frozen Chicken
  • Cranberry Juice Concentrate (11.5 ounces)
  • Dry Lentils (2 pound bags)
  • Macaroni & Cheese (7.25 ounces)
  • Canned Mixed Fruit (15 ounce can)
  • Canned Sliced Peaches (15 ounce can)
  • Peanut Butter (14.75 ounces)
  • Frozen Pulled Pork (2 pound bag)
  • Canned Pork (24 ounces)
  • Dehydrated Potatoes (1 pound bag)
  • Fresh Russet Potatoes (50 pound bags / boxes)
  • Canned Spaghetti Sauce (15 ounce can)
  • Frozen Strawberry Cups (4.5 ounces)
  • Canned Mixed Vegetables (15 ounce can)
  • Long Grain Rice (2 pound bag)
  • Fresh Milk


*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.
January 2019
We currently have the following items available in SAM:

  • Onions
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Watermelons
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Cucumber
  • Apples
  • Macaroni And Cheese
  • Butternut Squash
  • Cabbage
  • Yellow Squash


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!
TEFAP Milk Update
Did you know clients can pick up TEFAP milk more than once a week? We have recently been notified by the USDA that clients can visit the pantry up to two times a week to pick up milk . This is a great resource if you are having trouble getting out the TEFAP milk supply. Please be aware you will still need to have the milk forms filled out as normal.

Please note this change: We no longer need the TEFAP milk crates returned.
Don't Take This Opportunity for Granted!
Sign up for Grants Insider Newsletter to learn additional opportunities for funding!
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, 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
Food Safety Certification Opportunities
In accordance with MANNA's Annual Agreement, it is required that agencies stay up-to-date with Food Safety Certifications. If your agency prepares meals on-site, ServSafe Manager Certifications are offered at A-B Tech. Contact Maria Spadaro at (828)398-7925 or [email protected] for more information. All other agencies are required to have a ServSafe Food Handler representative. Be on the lookout for Food Handler certification training opportunities with MANNA in the new year! All certifications can also be found at www.servsafe.com . Contact your Zone Coordinator with any questions.
Scanner and Printer Raffle Winners
Congratulations to our winners:
  • Avery's Creek United Methodist Church -Food Pantry
  • Fines Creek Community Association
  • The Bridge Food Pantry
  • Cry of a Child
  • Neighbors Feeding Neighbors

There are still 2 units available. Please contact Kristen Ollila at [email protected] if you are interested.
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
January - March 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 January - March 2019 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
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
Direct Line: (217) 417-7446
Amy Sims
Western Zone Outreach Coordinator
Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania, Haywood
Direct Line: (828)299-3663 x 1279
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