Learn About Partnership
MANNA FoodBank collaborates with communities across Western North Carolina in a variety of ways to ensure we can distribute food to our neighbors. These partnership opportunities include becoming a formal Partner Agency, a Community Partner who can host a MANNA Community Market, or a Referral Partner who can help direct neighbors to our Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and MANNA Food Helpline (1-800-820-1109) services.
MANNA Partnerships
A Partner Agency is a 501c3 nonprofit or eligible religious organization that signs a formal agreement to order and receive food to serve from their own brick-and-mortar facility. MANNA’s Partner Agency Network, comprised of 250+ agencies, is the front line of food security work in WNC. Our partners provide food services to our neighbors with compassion and dignity, whether it be through food pantries or a community meal where people can come to make friends and enjoy a hot, nutritious meal together. We hold our partners to high standards for the quality of services they provide.
Learn more about MANNA’s Neighbor-Centric Values (pdf).
Community Partners are local organizations, institutions, government agencies, or businesses that assist in identifying food insecure areas and aid in the distribution of resources to these communities. Community Partners do not have a brick-and-mortar location; instead, they host a monthly mobile market in their area. These may be areas where no MANNA Partner Agency exists or where the Community Partner is working to eliminate barriers like transportation, language, safety, or other obstacles that prevent a specific community from accessing regular food resources. Community Partners are not required to do hunger relief work. They are often community leaders who have identified a need but don’t have the facility capacity to serve their community. We help fill that need by providing the food and assisting in creating a resource hub for the community.
Our Referral Partners refer their neighbors to our MANNA Food Helpline. Available Monday-Friday from 9AM-4PM, our Helpline agents assist WNC neighbors in locating food resources, provide direction for applying and/or recertifying for SNAP benefits, and more.
Become A MANNA FoodBank Partner
Basic Requirements
AGENCY PARTNERSHIP
To become a formal Partner Agency, an organization must distribute food somewhere in our 16-county service area, including the Qualla Boundary, and must be a federally tax-exempt organization. Partner agencies either hold 501c3 status, fall under a 501c3 umbrella, or are a church/religious organization as recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.
Here’s a quick list of what you need to submit during the application process:
- Proof of Tax-Exempt Status
- Recent Licensed Professional Pest Control invoice
- Food Safety Training Certification
- Formal Agreement and Application completion
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
To become a Community Partner with MANNA, an organization must distribute food somewhere in our 16-county service area, including the Qualla Boundary, and complete the MANNA Food Safety Training. We recommend our Community Partners attend an open house before filling out the Community Partnership application.
Next Steps:
If your organization is interested in becoming a MANNA Partner, next steps include:
- Completing the formal application and submit all required documents.
- Completing a site visit and onboarding training.
MANNA is not currently recruiting for partnerships. If you have a need in your community and would like to explore partnership, we still encourage you to complete the form below.