FRESH NEWS July 2021

As MANNA FoodBank, the pandemic has been both a marathon and a sprint for all aspects of our operations - and it does not appear that it will let up anytime soon.

At our partner pantries and mobile distributions, we are seeing that there are still significant numbers of the working poor who, despite all of their efforts and creative resiliency solutions, cannot make ends meet between their income and rising costs of living. Additionally, we are seeing a growing number of seniors on fixed incomes who are facing hard choices about whether they should pay their utility bill, or spend that money on food. These are choices that no one should have to make.

When we consider the ever-widening gap between the high cost of living in our beautiful region and the low-incomes many people receive, it is not surprising that many people are facing food insecurity. With our area experiencing the highest rental costs in the state, which exceed the nationwide average, and wages that fall beneath the state and national averages, it becomes easy to realize that the math in countless people's budgets just does not add up.

This is why we are filled with gratitude for supporters like you, who make it possible for MANNA to get food to people every day since the beginning of the pandemic, through the high need we are still seeing today.

Although we do not know when we may return to pre-pandemic levels of food insecurity across our region, what we do know is with friends like you, and all of our cherished partners, we are committed to continue to show up for any and all who need us.

At MANNA, our mission to end hunger is at the center of everything we do. We know how vital food is to ensuring that our community can live and thrive - food truly is the foundation of health. And as we have evolved our fresh produce and perishable food rescue and distribution operations over the years, we’ve committed to ensuring that the food we help get onto the tables of families across Western North Carolina is also the kind of food that helps supports our health and wellbeing.

The connection between food insecurity and an individual’s health is clear. Chronic illnesses and other food-related health concerns are a troubling reality for many who face ongoing grocery budget constraints. Food insecurity limits a person’s food options, and more often than not, the cheaper, more financially accessible foods are lacking the proper nutrition our bodies need to stay healthy. It’s much more “economical” to buy 6 packs of ramen noodles than it is to buy one pint of blueberries. This is why we are so dedicated to maintaining a balance of health-supporting foods that our partner pantries and mobile markets can provide to folks coming to food distributions.

Every day, our staff, volunteers, and partners work tirelessly to source, sort, and distribute fresh and perishable foods.

MANNA’s focus on rescuing and delivering fresh foods, especially nutrient-dense foods, has grown in scope over the years as we continue to build relationships with large-scale food donors, and refine our efficiencies and capacity around handling fresh and perishable foods. This dedication to fresh food capacity extends to our 250+ partner agency network, as well. We’ve partnered with Thermo Fisher Scientific, who donates high-end lab grade refrigeration and freezer equipment, to help support our partners with the capacity to handle fresh food so that they can also safely receive and distribute these nutritious foods to people across the WNC community that we are working hard to source.

But fresh food is just the first step when it comes to ensuring that the most at-risk members of our community have the nutrition they need. Addressing barriers to accessing this food is an important next step in ensuring our community has healthy, nutritious food.

Continue reading about MANNA's focus on health.

In Western North Carolina, we are surrounded by an abundance of beautiful farmland and farmers' markets throughout our sixteen counties. Happily, the fruit and vegetables offered at these markets are more accessible to our community than ever!

Thanks to programs, such as Double Up Food Bucks, select farmers markets throughout our area offer a one-to-one match on SNAP dollars spent at participating locations. That means that for every dollar spent using SNAP/EBT at participating farmers markets, customers get twice that amount to buy food!

The following eight farmers markets are locations where you will be able to double up on your SNAP dollars!

If you are interested in other farmers markets, there are other markets that offer different SNAP incentives.

Our Nutrition Works team not only works to ensure that we are providing clients with nutrient-dense and calorie-dense foods, but also recipes that provide clients with a tasty way to cook up the food that they are bringing home from our mobile markets.

One of those recipes is the simple, yet delicious, Fresh & Easy Kidney Bean Salad. Watch the video to learn how to prepare the tasty treat or read through the recipe to get started on creating the perfect salad for summer!

For more summer recipes, try a quinoa salad with black beans and corn or a zucchini and corn skillet.

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, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Happy (and healthy) cooking!

Protein is one of several essential nutrients that the human body requires in order to maintain a healthy life. As a food bank, we recognize the importance of getting high-quality and protein-rich foods to clients throughout WNC. That is why our volunteer egg candlers work to inspect every egg that is donated to MANNA before it leaves for a distribution.

Two of our egg candlers, Larry and Sandra Layton, have worked for years inspecting cartons of eggs as they pass through MANNA.

"As egg candlers, we use MANNA's special lighting equipment to look inside each egg and make sure it is good to eat. Then, we package them up and they get delivered all over," Sandra says, and added that thanks to donations from local stores, there is a steady stream of eggs that come through the "Chicken Coop," where all the eggs are inspected.

As Larry so perfectly put it, "The main point of egg candling is offering people food that will allow them to live a healthier life."

Thank you to Larry, Sandra, and all of our volunteers who help candle eggs for our neighbors across WNC!

MANNA FoodBank seeks an experienced Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with a demonstrated commitment to organizational excellence to lead the organization and add to its exceptional 39-year history. MANNA’s mission is to involve, educate, and unite people in the work of ending hunger in Western North Carolina. MANNA’s vision is: A Hunger-Free Western North Carolina.

Interfaith Assistance Ministry has been providing assistance to Henderson County residents since 1984. Their mission is to assist members of our community experiencing crisis with basic needs, in an atmosphere of compassion and respect.

Working on the front lines of providing crisis services and food to children and adults who are hungry is a huge blessing. At the end of each day, I drive home knowing that local neighbors in great need feel less stressed and their hunger pangs are relieved. I am thankful for the opportunity to help figure out ways to reduce hunger, food insecurity and serve families and individuals living in food deserts.

My favorite food to distribute are eggs. Their versatility is amazing as an ingredient in so many recipes and also as a main dish packed with protein for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Despite going to school in Boston, the young teenage daughter of a volunteer donated the $200 birthday check she received from her parents to IAM. She has volunteered at IAM several times while visiting a parent here. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your generous young heart, Chloe!

When MANNA receives fresh produce, it is vital that we sort and deliver it to our partners for distribution as soon as we can. Aside from the important nutritional value produce contains, the shelf life is shorter, and that makes it even more important that we get it to our clients as quickly as possible. That is why we have extended our hours on Thursday and Friday afternoons.

If you are interested in supporting our fresh produce rescue efforts, consider a Thursday or Friday afternoon volunteer shift!

While we're beginning to see the signs of recovery, the almost 100,000 people we are serving every month still have a very long road ahead.

We still remain forty percent above our pre-pandemic numbers for the number of people needing food in WNC. In the month of May alone, MANNA and our partners served over 100,000 people at partner agencies and mobile markets across WNC. We know that the pandemic has disproportionately affected many families here, and we anticipate this need will remain above pre-pandemic levels for some time.

On our most recent impact report, we have added the total number of individuals served in the month of May, alongside the average number of people we've served since the beginning of the pandemic, to provide a true look at what .

The most striking and hopeful piece of our monthly impact report is seeing what our community has made happen: Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, together we have provided 27 million meals to families throughout our region thanks to the support of volunteers, partners and individuals such as yourself.

On behalf of the thousands of families who will come home to food on the table tonight, we thank you for your enduring compassion and support.

Since launching Outpace Hunger, our action-based fundraiser, we have been so inspired and impressed by the challenges that people are taking on - all to help feed our friends and neighbors who are simply trying to get food on the table.

One person who has inspired us through their goal is Kipper Schauer.

Throughout the month of May, Kipper ran 100 miles! While chipping away at this incredible feat, Kipper asked friends to join him in Outpacing Hunger by donating to his campaign and following his journey to 100 miles. By the end of the campaign, Kipper not only exceeded his running goal, but also raised more than $1,000 dollars for Outpace Hunger. That's over 4,000 meals for people throughout WNC!

No matter your passion, whether it is crafting, reading, gardening or whatever, you can be like Kipper and help us Outpace Hunger!

Summer is almost here, and this year, we have a great way for families, neighbors, friends, and communities to come together and make a difference for our WNC neighbors facing hunger - all while participating in your favorite activities!

Outpace Hunger - MANNA FoodBank's brand-new fundraising campaign to help turn your favorite activity into much-needed food for WNC families - is off to a great start!

But we have a long way to go, and we need your help to get to the finish line!

The campaign is simple: participants set an activity-based fundraising goal and share their personal fundraiser with friends and family. Then, they track their progress and encourage people to support their effort to raise money for meals as they come closer to their goal.

Whether you enjoy walking your pooch, are an avid paddler, a stop and smell the roses hiker, yoga lover or an ultra-marathoner, you can turn your passion into meals by signing up to participate. Every $1 raised for MANNA helps provide four meals-worth of food – and it is needed now more than ever.  

This summer, with the help of local breweries, you can help get food to our neighbors who don't know where their next meal will come from by getting a beer.

Join us in getting a drink from one, two or even all three of the breweries below as our community comes together to turn beer into food for our neighbors!

12 Bones Brewing - $1 from every pour of Stay Golden Light Lager goes to MANNA. July 1-31.

Highland Brewing - $1 from every pour of AVL IPA goes to MANNA. August 1-31.

Hillman Brewing - $1 from every pour, all beers, goes to MANNA as part of "Power in Pints" night. August 2.

MANNA FoodBank is excited to announce that the 20th Annual Empty Bowls event will take place on Monday, October 18, 2021!

We are thrilled to celebrate this incredible twenty-year milestone with our guests, potters, artisans, culinary partners, and larger WNC community. Please stay tuned for more details about this joyous Empty Bowls reunion, including a link to purchase tickets, in the coming months.