Help Spread the Word
One of the most important things you can do as an advocate for our friends and neighbors who might be struggling right now is to normalize reaching out for help, and to spread the word about the resources we have available.
Please share MANNA’s Food Helpline information with your employers, church groups, and other organizations you are affiliated with, and together we can offer a helping hand to anyone facing a moment of struggle.
Highlighted below are several wonderful resources that you can share!
Thank you for helping to be a voice of support for everyone in our mountain community.
The MANNA Helpline: One Stop for Food Resources Across WNC
MANNA’s Food Helpline team is the direct connection to food resources across WNC. This team helps residents find pantries in their neighborhood, and helps families sign up for SNAP.
At the end of January, MANNA, alongside the Council On Aging of Buncombe County, held a livestream on our Facebook page that provided an in-depth analysis of food insecurity in WNC and the resources available in our region.
If you or anyone you know are struggling to buy enough groceries, we encourage you to watch this video and share it with others. The informational session details the particulars of navigating the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
For more information about SNAP and food resources near you, call the MANNA Food Helpline at 1-800-820-1109.
Food Finder: The Partner Agency Map
MANNA FoodBank works with a network of over 200 nonprofit pantries, meal sites, and other community-based organizations helping residents to access free food across our 16 country service area. With that many potential resources to locate food, you may be wondering how to locate the nearest possible location? Thanks to our Food Finder Map, the process has become much easier!
The Food Finder Map allows people to enter their exact location and find nearby resources for free food.
If you are unable to access the map, or are having issues with finding a free food distribution near you, please call our Food Helpline for assistance: 1-800-820-1109.
NC 2 – 1 – 1: Get Connected to Housing, Transportation & more
MANNA is proud to have a long running partnership with our friends at UnitedWay’s NC 2-1-1 helpline – in fact, when callers to 2-1-1 ask about food in WNC, they are often sent our way.
NC 2-1-1 provides vital information and connection services to any NC resident needing assistance with basic living needs, and isn’t sure where to start. No matter where you live in NC, you can dial 2-1-1 and a compassionate, trained NC 2-1-1 call specialist will help you to find available human services resources in your community.
Food Connection: Meals in Buncombe County
If you’re looking for other food resources in Buncombe County, check out Food Connection. The local nonprofit’s mission is to relieve hunger while reducing waste by connecting surplus freshly prepared meals with those experiencing food insecurity. To do this, Food Connection collects surplus fresh meals from restaurants, caterers and institutions, and delivers them to community partners who feed those in need, in order to reduce food waste and ease the pain of immediate hunger.
Food Connection is operating in Buncombe County, North Carolina, in cities including Asheville, Swannanoa and Black Mountain and also in Madison County.
