Dear Manna,

The new year has brought cold weather and new changes to the Manna-verse. After 11 years of dedicated service, Jackie DeCarlo concluded her role as Manna's CEO at the end of December. Our Board of Directors and a team of staff have been working hard to find someone to carry on Manna’s mission of Food for All, and luckily, we did.  

You may have seen the announcement earlier this month, we are thrilled that Craig Rice has been chosen as our new CEO. We are excited to see his passion for community service be brought to Manna’s work as he starts his role February 3rd. Craig brings a wealth of experience from local and state politics, Fortune 500 companies, and the nonprofit sector. His vision, leadership skills, and passion for community service align perfectly with Manna's mission of Food for All.  

I have been busy as the interim CEO as Manna also had many activities Martin Luther King Junior weekend out in the community! This was fitting as MLK Jr’s vision to the core resembles closely our own – to see Montgomery County as a place where all people at all times have access to safe, sufficient, nutritious food in order to lead fulfilling lives. Manna was honored by Alpha Phi Alpha at their Martin Luther King Scholarship breakfast as this year’s recipient of their service award. Members of the Manna community were also at the event we held with KID Museum in Bethesda. This event highlighted Dr. King's legacy and "the beloved community" and brought together kids to create signs for what they wanted to see in the world.  More about these events and pictures are below! 

Finally, a reminder that our annual Heroes Against Hunger event is just around the corner! You still have time to nominate who our 2025 heroes will be! Continue reading for all the details and the links to our nomination form.  

Warmly,

Holly Wong

Interim CEO, Manna Food Center

PS: Need a warm and immune boosting dinner idea for this extra chilly winter? Check out the delicious soup recipe from our Community Food Education team down below! 

Manna Food Center received the Alpha Phi Alpha's Community Service Award at the fraternity's 48th annual Martin Luther King Scholarship Breakfast, recognizing our outstanding efforts in addressing childhood hunger in the community. We are honored and thankful that our tireless work is noticed and appreciated by our community.  

In a separate event, Manna Food Center partnered with the KID Museum to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The collaboration focused on Dr. King's concept of the "beloved community" and engaged children in creative ways to share their unique perspectives on sharing with neighbors, building a better community, and making the world a better place.

Remember Gloria from our young leaders story in last month’s newsletter? Check out her day in the life video of her internship at Manna!  

Nominations are now open for our 2025 Heroes Against Hunger Awards! This annual event celebrates outstanding individuals, corporations, and community organizations making a significant impact in the fight against hunger in Montgomery County.   

Nomination Deadline: February 2nd, 2025 

We encourage self-nominations and multiple nominations- don't miss this opportunity to celebrate those taking action! To nominate your heroes, please visit our online nomination form.  

Heroes Against Hunger will be held at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown on May 6th, 2025! For sponsorship opportunities please visit our online sponsorship form.  

For more information about the event, please visit https://www.mannafood.org/heroesagainsthunger/ 

Questions? Please email Camila Ferguson-Sierra at camila@mannafood.org. 

Reminder about Inclement Weather 

A reminder that Manna follows the Montgomery County Government decisions around weather-based delays and closures – which will also be posted on our website and social media!