As of today MANNA will expand our requirements around masks, shifting the way our partner agencies interact with our organization and the clients they serve:
- Partner agencies are required to wear masks anytime they are onsite at MANNA or interacting with MANNA staff and volunteers in any capacity.
- Masks are required when picking up from MANNA, including in MANNA's parking lot.
- Masks are required during mobile deliveries, including MANNA Express.
- As a result of the ordinance, all staff and volunteers at partner agencies are required to wear masks during food distributions and when serving meals.
We know it is all of our responsibility to maintain and encourage strong health and safety practices for the communities we serve.
Wearing masks is about caring for the communities we serve, showing each and every client that their health and safety is a priority for all of us.
We've seen firsthand how COVID-19 has forced partner agencies to shut down due to testing positive for the virus.
This is a strong reminder that COVID-19 could deeply disrupt feeding our communities and if left unchecked could put agencies in the position of spreading the virus to our most vulnerable communities.
We also want to share the impact that a confirmed case within MANNA would have on our entire network: MANNA's COVID-19 response plan states that if a staff or regular volunteer tests positive we will shut down to clean and sanitize our facilities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 internally and across our network.
This would significantly shift our delivery and pickup schedule, impacting many of your distributions.
That is why the team at MANNA is committed to wearing masks with you. You’ll find our staff and volunteers wearing masks every day,
even when it is hot and uncomfortable, even as we travel to counties with low confirmed case numbers, and even when we are not exhibiting any symptoms. It takes all of us to keep our teams safe.
We stand with you on our commitment to safety for our communities.
We thank you for all that you do to take great care of our neighbors in need and reducing the impact of COVID-19 across our network.
If you have questions about how to make masks a regular part of your food sites please reach out to your Zone Coordinator.
The Agency Relations Team
Jenn, Amy, Leah, Kaitlyn, and Chris
