As we welcomed Spring’s first flowers this month, March also marks the two-year anniversary of COVID-19 in our County. Over the past two years, I have been humbled by the community response and spirit of collaboration among faith groups, county leaders, and fellow not-for-profits, and I know the partnerships we’ve forged will strengthen our ability to serve for years ahead. This month, as the County recognizes two years of COVID-19 response–and this week honors Food Security organizations–we are grateful for all of our partner organizations working for #FoodForAll.
As the economic fallout from the pandemic persists, Manna is working with our peers, participants, collaborators, and legislators to expand and improve the ways we serve our community, including emergency service actions. After the March 3rd Friendly Gardens Apartment explosion, we were thankful to aid the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management in their support of the nearly 70 families displaced by the disaster. We are relieved and grateful to share that Manna’s matriarch, Miss Blanche, and her family have found a new home and, thanks to more than $7,000 in contributions, and begun the process of replacing all their possessions. Events like this remind us of the importance first responders, strong social safety nets, and generosity have in supporting our communities in the face of crisis.
Read on to hear more about tomorrow’s Breaking Bread session and meet some of the new faces at Manna. Lastly, I hope you can join us on April 27th for our Heroes Against Hunger award reception, when we honor three awardees who stand out this year for their contributions to fighting hunger in our community.
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Jackie DeCarlo
CEO, Manna Food Center
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Breaking Bread Tomorrow, March 30th |
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We are excited to hold another session of our ongoing conversation series: Breaking Bread
With the goal of combatting hunger, Breaking Bread nurtures dialogue around critical issues surrounding hunger and food insecurity in our community.
In honor of National Nutrition Month, join us to hear our Community Food Education team lead a discussion about how nutrition education can address food insecurity:
12-1 pm-Wednesday, March 30th.
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New Faces at Manna
Our staff has been growing; let us to introduce you to some of the new faces behind Manna's mission!
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My name is Carlos Zuniga and I was born in Nicaragua. I came to the United States as a refugee during the late 70’s because of a civil war in my home country. I became a US citizen in 1987 and a few years later, I graduated from Eastern Michigan University in International Business. |
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In 1992, I decided to move back to Nicaragua to help my parents after the country’s return to a democratic path. I am happily married, and I have four children. Sadly, I had to leave my homeland again in 2018 because a new dictatorship took over the government. I came to work at Manna last October. I decided to work for Manna because it was an opportunity to serve others. I love what Manna does for people because I see myself in many of the people I encounter at work. |
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My name is Corey Owens, I was born in Denver and grew up in a military family stationed mostly in Germany and England. My role at Manna is to be part of the logistics team. I rescue donated food from stores and run satellites distributions where we pass out the food to our participants. What drew me to Manna is being able to help people; I enjoy the face-to-face interactions I get to experience while helping my neighbors. |
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Luisa is Community Food Education Coordinator here at Manna Food Center. As part of the Community Food Education team, she teaches cooking classes and wellness presentations in both English and Spanish. Additionally, she teaches youth classes and assists with recipe development. Luisa grew up in Morelia, Michoacán, and moved to Washington D.C in 2018 after living in Australia for close to 4 years. |
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She worked as an Urban Farmer previously to joining Manna Food Center, and it was her interest in growing food that first drew her attention to Nutrition. Nutrition Epidemiology is one of her main areas of interest, particularly how environmental factors impact nutritional profiles of food. She is passionate about teaching new recipes that are not only good for you but that taste amazing. What first drew Luisa to Manna was the strong connection the organization has with the community it serves and its commitment to Montgomery County. |
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Tess is the Development Associate here at Manna Food Center where she helps coordinate food drives, donor outreach, and communications. She grew up in Iowa and has has a background in sustainable food systems and local agriculture. She was drawn to Manna by the opportunity to help people directly. |
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Heroes Against Hunger Approaches! |
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Less than one month until the 2022 Heroes Against Hunger Awards Reception and early bird tickets are on sale! Join us to celebrate our heroes.
Thank you to all our sponsors who make this event possible.
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Recycling Partnership Award |
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Montgomery County DEP’s Recycling and Resource Management Division recognizes the contributions of commercial food scraps recycling partners to increase recycling achievement by separating pre-consumer food scraps from the waste stream and recycling them through the commercial food scraps recycling program.
Manna was the recipient of their Recycling Partnership Award this past year for its work in diverting over 49,000lbs of compostable food waste from reaching the landfill.
Thank you to our volunteers and partners that made this possible!
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For more information on voter registration and requesting a mail-in ballot, click here.
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