Friend of Manna Food Center
It’s going to be quite a summer for Manna Food Center! Last month I announced to you key milestones as Manna continues on a journey we refer to as “More than a Move.” Yes, we will be moving to temporary space during renovations of our 9311 Gaither Rd warehouse after the July 4th weekend. Yes, we will be moving staff to 12301 Old Columbia Pike at the corner of Tech Rd and Old Columbia Pike starting mid-July. But all this activity is more than just packing boxes and shifting locations. It is the culmination of a “place-based strategy” to improve, innovate, and invigorate our efforts to eliminate hunger.
In the midst of this transformation, Manna is making sure our services continue. We often say “hunger doesn’t take a break” and it certainly doesn’t during a move! Hunger has different dimensions in the summer. With students out of school and away from breakfast and lunch programs, families can feel the strain of providing more meals. Costs for camps and other activities pinch parents’ budgets. Even modest travel costs for three day weekends can chip away at disposable income. Through our
Food for Families
programs, at sites from Langley Park to Germantown, Manna is able to offer tasty, nutritious food to all who turn to us. Manny, our
mobile kitchen and pop-up pantry
, will be hitting the road double time to reach and teach.
Our motto this summer is “Be steady with the vision, be flexible with the details.” That’s because two construction projects happening while we serve 3,000 families a month is bound to be filled with headaches and hardships. However if we all remember why we are in this process—to provide Food for All—we can keep the faith.
With your donations—of food, funds, and friendship—you make our work possible. Thank you for that generosity and for being with us on this journey. I continue to welcome your input or questions or suggestions.
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Community Food Rescue (CFR) has launched the second year of its gleaning initiative.
Gleaning is the harvesting of food that would otherwise go unpicked. The crop is left unharvested when there is so little left behind that it is not economical for the farmer to harvest. Or, in the case of “pick your own farms,” the pickings are too slim for customers.
Our first glean of the season was at Butler Montessori School in Darnestown. With school coming to a close, there was limited staff or student time for pulling the kale so that summer crops could be planted.
(
Read More
).
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Five Tips for Eating Rainbow Foods
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Have you ever heard the phrase “Eat the Rainbow”? If you haven’t, the idea is that you consume foods, typically plant based, which are the colors of the rainbow. The different colors have different nutrients and aligning health properties. The more colors you eat, the better variety of nutrients you have to support your body and fight off illness.
Here are 5 tips to include more colors into what you already eat.
- Drink a smoothie with different colors. It can be easy to consume a variety of colors when you blend them all together in a delicious drink.
- Use dips and sauces that contain plant based color blends. For example salsa (one of my personal favorites) and pesto.
- Switch from white potatoes (boring!) to sweet potatoes or mashed cauliflower.
- Add red onions, peppers (red, yellow, orange, green), broccoli, tomatoes, and garlic to your eggs.
- Spice up your food! Using spices like turmeric, basil, cayenne, and more can add great flavor, phytonutrients, and other herbal health benefits.
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Another
Kale-rific
Recipe!
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Kale is one of the most nutrient foods that you can eat, which makes it among the healthiest. Kale is a part of the cabbage family and comes in many different varieties which include being green, purple or can be curly or smooth shaped. One cup of kale has vitamin A, K, C, B6, B1, B2, B3, Manganese, Calcium, Copper, Potassium, and Magnesium. Kale is also loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants are substance that help to counteract oxidative damage by free radicals which can cause cancer, inflammation, and other health issues.
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Lemon Chick Sausage and Kale Stir Fry
By:
Cynthia Wilson
Servings
: 4
Time
: 10 minutes
Source:
Clean Food Crush
Ingredients:
- 2 large bunches of Kale, ribs removed and sliced into strips
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed Lemon Juice (adjust for taste)
- 1-12oz package Chicken Sausage (or other meat) casing removed, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 ½ tsp ground Pepper
- 1 ½ tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Directions
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add oil and begin to caramelize onions, stirring about 2 minutes.
- Turn down heat to low and cook onions to golden brown, about 5 additional minutes.
- Turn heat back up to medium-high, toss in sausage and cook until browned on all sides and hot throughout.
- Two minutes before sausage is finished cooking add sliced kale and toss to cook.
- Serve immediately.
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Join community members and Manna staff for this month's Breaking Bread discussion to explore how we can tackle issues related to hunger together!
Manna Warehouse
9311 Gaither Road
Wednesday, June 19 from 4-5:30 PM
Light refreshments will be provided.
Due to our move, we will not hold Breaking Bread in July.
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Manna's Office Closed
July 4 & 5
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All Manna Food Center offices will be closed on Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5 in honor of Independence Day.
Please contact our Participants Services Office at 301-424-1130 if you have questions about food pick-up or volunteering.
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Available Volunteer Opportunities
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NOTE:
Due to the nature of our operations and upcoming renovations, we have a limited number of volunteer spaces available for the next few months.
Email
Katie
(katie@mannafood.org) for more information.
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Food Distribution
Please note
: Warehouse distribution ended on May 24 but food sorting and packing activities will continue into July. After July 8 warehouse operations will move to a temporary location while the warehouse is under renovation.
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Participant Services Representative
Help log referrals by phone, fax, and email in to our database. Volunteers must be able to commit to a minimum of 6 months. Ability to transition over to our 12301 Old Columbia Pike location in July required.
English/Spanish bi-lingual skills are a plus!
Shifts Currently Available: Day, Evening, or Floater (shift varies based on need)
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Satellite Distribution Centers
Volunteers needed to help distribute prepacked boxes, assist clients to their car, and take in food donations.
Tuesdays and Thursdays 3pm-7pm
Gaithersburg Middle School
Wednesdays 3pm-7pm
Clifton Park Baptist Church
(formerly Long Branch Satellite)
Fridays 1pm-4pm
East County Regional Service Center
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Food Runners
Join Community Food Rescue (CFR), Montgomery County's network for food recovery. Help deliver rescued food to area shelters.
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A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Donors
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We extend a warm and sincere THANK YOU to all of the organizations and businesses that have donated food and funds between April 16, 2019 - May 15, 2019.
Without your incredible generosity, we would not be able to feed families in our community.
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7 Locks Brewing
Adat Shalom Congregation
APA Inc.
Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum
Bethesda Central Farmers' Market
Bethesda Chevy Chase Jewish Community Group
Bethesda Co-Op
B'nai Israel Congregation
Box Associates Limited Partnership
Capital Area Food Bank
Central Farm Markets at Westfield Montgomery Mall
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School
Chinmaya Mission Washington Regional Center
Church of The Redeemer
City of Gaithersburg
City of Rockville
Clinton AME Zion Church
Congregation Har Shalom
Daisy Troop #33104
DC Metro Sai Samsthan
Dewberry
Doppelt Family Foundation
Fields Road E.S.
First Baptist Church of Ken-Gar
First Fruits Farm
Fitzgerald Hyundai Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg Chapter #5358 of AARP
Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church
Giant Food, Inc.
Girl Scout Troop #3901
Girls on the Run of Montgomery County
Global Mission Church
The Goddard School
Habitat For Humanity
Harris Teeter
Homespire Mortgage
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
Imperfect Produce
Inter-Faith Chapel Mission Committee
Jewish War Veterans Ladies Auxiliary
Kaiser Permanente
King Arthur Flour
Larry E. Paul Certified Financial Planner
Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church
Leisure World
LMEPAC Charity Program Custodial Account
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Lutheran Church of St. Andrew
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Union
Montgomery County
Montgomery County Master Gardeners
Montgomery County Thrift Shop Board
MSI Food Drive
National Council of Jewish Women
Newmark & Company Real Estate Inc.
Norman's Farm Markets
Norwood School
Olney Farmers & Artists' Market
One Acre Farm
Or Haolam Ministries, Inc.
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
Pepco, an Exelon Company
Pilgrim United Church of Christ
ProFund Advisors LLC
Response Tech
Ride-On Transit
Rockville Farmers' Market
Roots
Safeway
Saint Mark Presbyterian Church
Sanders Foundation
Seneca Community Church
Silver Spring Presbyterian Church
Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Inc.
St. Jude's Leisure Club
State of Maryland
TD Charitable Foundation
Temple Emanuel
Tikvat Israel Congregation
Trader Joe's
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
True Buddha Temple Maryland
Twinbrook Community Church
UNDCA
Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville
Unity Christ Church of Gaithersburg
Village of Martin's Additions
Wegmans
Wells Fargo Foundation
Whole Foods Market
William S. Abell Foundation
Wootton High Girls Varsity Basketball Team
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If you're interested in donating food, making a financial contribution, or volunteering, please contact us at:
Manna Food Center
9311 Gaither Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
301-424-1130
Remember to support Manna through your workplace giving campaign.
United Way # 8846 - CFC # 23028
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