Food is Love

Thank You to our Volunteers, Partners and Donors for Helping to Spread the Love

Ever since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, we have seen a dramatic increase in the need for food amongst families throughout the entirety of WNC. As of December 2021, we are continuing to serve over 120,000 people per month at markets and food distributions. While this number is staggering, we are thankful that our network of incredible volunteers, partners and donors provide the support necessary to be able to serve this many individuals, because we know that food is more than sustenance; food is love.

Throughout the pandemic, volunteers have consistently shown up to MANNA looking for any way to lend a hand. These passionate and dedicated volunteers have packed food boxes for families throughout WNC, have put together MANNA Packs for school children who struggle to eat when they do not have access to school lunches, have candled eggs to ensure people receive nutritious and protein-rich foods, have driven trucks throughout every nook and cranny of our mountainous region and have answered a record number of phone calls on our Helpline. All of this volunteerism ensures that families throughout WNC have access to nutrient dense food and the comforts that come from knowing you have food to eat.

While many aspects of daily life were altered due to the pandemic, our partner network persisted and did everything in their power to continue distributing food to their neighbors. Partner agencies rearranged every component of their operations to lessen the possibility of transmission and create a safe environment for everyone who visited their organization. Implementing a drive-through system, partner agencies were able to continue greeting familiar faces and new ones, while providing them with a box of food and a feeling of security in the midst of an unprecedented and scary time for many.

All of this work would not be possible either without the outpouring of financial support people provided throughout the pandemic. Knowing how important food is for peoples’ health and happiness, countless individuals, organizations and foundations gave what they could to make sure families had food to eat.

Time and time again, we are reminded of the strength of our community when everyone comes together. Our volunteers, partners and donors consistently spread love throughout our region through their work and commitment to making sure everyone has access to food.

Thank you to everyone who has helped provide our community with food and love during these challenging and unprecedented times.