FRESH NEWS May 2022

Access to nutritious, healthy food is an important basic necessity for everyone. That is why we are thankful for farmers' markets throughout WNC for accepting SNAP as a form of payment.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the most effective method of combatting food insecurity. SNAP provides households with funds that can then be used for food purchase. The program allows people to choose the food that they want to eat, while putting the money spent back into the local economy.

While many farmers markets in WNC accept SNAP, there are a handful of markets that offer additional incentives, especially when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables. One of the most popular incentive program is called Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables. The program offers a one-to-one match on dollars spent by SNAP customers. For example, someone can exchange $10 of SNAP funds for $20 worth of fresh produce.

Double SNAP is an incredible opportunity for people utilizing SNAP to double the value of their SNAP funds, while purchasing nutrient-dense food and supporting local farmers. As of now the following markets participate in Double SNAP: Asheville City Market, East Asheville Tailgate Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market and West Asheville Tailgate Market.

On Saturday, May 14th The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) will conduct its annual national food drive. The longstanding food drive is the largest one-day food drive in the country and provides residents with an easy way to donate food to your local food bank.

Residents in WNC can participate by leaving a donation of non-perishable food items next to their mailbox before the delivery of the mail on May 14th. Letter carriers will then collect these food donations on that day as they deliver mail along their postal routes, and deliver them to MANNA.

If you plan on donating food, there are a few important guidelines to know in terms of what MANNA can and cannot receive.

Special note: If there is a chance of rain, please place your food donation in a plastic or reusable bag to protect the food from the elements.

Throughout the month of March, schools competed against each other in the 13th Annual Student Food Drive to see who could raise the most food and money to help feed neighbors throughout WNC. In total, all of the schools collectively raised 62,407 meals for families throughout our region! We are so impressed and inspired by our WNC youth and their commitment to ensuring that people all across the mountains can access food when they need it.

This year, MANNA recognized schools with a variety of awards, ranging from best for specific grade-levels and types of school to the most creative.

High School Best – A.C. Reynolds High School – 27,139 meals

Middle School Best – East Yancey Middle School – 1,496 meals

Intermediate School Best – C.T. Koontz Intermediate School – 12,497 meals

Elementary School Best – Glen Arden Elementary School – 4,669 meals

Charter School Best – FernLeaf Community Charter School – 1,468 meals

Most Improved – Estes Elementary School – an increase of 423 meals

Rookie of the Year – Pisgah Elementary School – 1,189 meals

Most Creative – Polk County Middle School – 1,505 meals

As incentive for bringing in items of food for the food drive, Polk County Middle School invited students to donate food as a form of admission to get into the staff versus students basketball game. The game took place on a Friday and at the end of the game, the school's grand total from the food drive was announced.

Thank you to all of the students, parents, teachers and everyone else who made this happen. Thanks to your efforts, over 62,000 meals will be enjoyed throughout WNC.

Jewish Family Services (JFS) is a partner of MANNA and provides a wide range of support services to adults of all faiths in WNC. As part of their services, JFS has an Elder Club where isolated older adults have the opportunity to socialize and participate in enjoyable, educational and memory-enhancing activities. During Elder Club meetings, Chef Rachel Kalin prepares vegetarian dishes.

After working for a while as a city planner, Chef Kalin decided she wanted to redirect her career and follow her passion: working with food.

"I was looking for a way out of the high stress work days found in most restaurant kitchens," Chef Kalin says. "The position opened up at JFS just as I felt the need to pivot in a different food direction."

For five years now, Chef Kalin has prepared nutritious meals for seniors as part of the JFS Elder Club, and speaks about loving the experience of introducing members of the Elder Club to different world cuisine, unique flavors and the creative world of vegetarian and vegan cooking.

"It doesn't hurt to have a quality lunch program for a senior social program, does it?" Chef Kalin asks. "They certainly look forward to eating a 'home' cooked meal with their peers, sometimes reminiscing over food memories of the past, or quietly making mmmmmm sounds."

Operating in Buncombe and Henderson counties, the Elder Club creates an inviting and fun atmosphere where seniors are able to enjoy delicious food with a peer community that fosters meal enjoyment and improved nutrition.

The weather is warming, and it's planting season in the mountains! WNC residents have brought in their harvested backyard crops for us to distribute to our neighbors seeking food assistance, because they wanted to make sure that people in our area had access to nutritious and locally-grown produce. We love accepting these donations!

If you are someone who loves to spend their time during the warm weather digging in the dirt and gardening, we invite you to consider planting a row for MANNA! The fresh food that you grow can help feed families throughout our region, and can be donated directly to the food bank when you harvest.

If you decide to plant a row for MANNA this year, we will happily welcome all harvested donations anytime throughout the year!

Share your results with us! If you love to share healthy recipes, make a recipe your own, or simply share your photos, we'd love to see how it turns out. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Happy (and healthy) cooking!

After a successful campaign in 2021, Outpace Hunger is back for 2022!

If you are looking for a way to make a real impact this spring and summer, you can feed people and your passion by participating in Outpace Hunger, an action-based fundraising campaign that turns a favorite activity into meals.

Find out more about Outpace Hunger and how you can participate on our website.

Fewer than 50 tickets remain for MANNA's Table for Three raffle, where you could win 52 fabulous meals at some of the Asheville-area's most beloved restaurants. The best part? Every ticket sold is able to provide a meal a day for over a year for a neighbor who needs it. Check out the incredible participating restaurants and buy your tickets now, before they're gone!

We are so pleased to announce that, thanks to YOU, we were able to meet a generous match to purchase fresh food for our community!!!

Thank you to everyone who participated in last month's Fresh Food Drive. Thanks to your donations, the $100,000 match was met and truckloads of fresh fruit and vegetables have been driven to our neighbors throughout WNC.

As of now, we have already procured and distributed oranges, grapefruits, local apples, watermelons, sweet potatoes, onions and purple cabbages.

A special thanks to Bruce and Pam Rakay of the Rakay Family Foundation for providing the matching gift and helping nourish our neighbors, one bountiful plate at a time. We are so grateful to your dedication to our neighbors across WNC!