Fresh News February: A Network of Care, Rising Together

Hunger relief in Western North Carolina is never a result of MANNA’s work alone. It comes from our network of farmers and food donors, warehouse teams and truck drivers, partner pantries and community markets, volunteers, advocates, and supporters—all moving in coordination so that families across our region can count on food when they need it.

On any given day, food is being donated by local retailers, purchased through donor support, secured through public programs, sorted and packed by volunteers, and delivered to 300+ partner agencies across 16 counties and the Qualla Boundary. From there, it reaches dinner tables, backpacks, senior centers, and rural communities where access would otherwise be limited.

This network represents truck drivers navigating winding mountain roads. Partner pantries reopening in borrowed spaces after disaster. Volunteers packing boxes after finishing their own workdays. Farmers and gardeners sharing spare produce to support their neighbors. Donors who step forward so that food can be purchased and distributions expanded.

And of course, partner pantries opening their doors and showing up for their neighbors, week after week, month after month, even when disaster strikes.

This is what it means to rise together. 

It means children receive food assistance, even in the summer. It means neighbors can choose foods that meet their household needs. It means families can call a helpline, apply for SNAP, visit a community market, or walk into a local pantry and be met with dignity.

Each part strengthens the whole. Food for today. Food for tomorrow. Food for a lifetime. 

If you’d like to see how this network came together over the past year—and the impact it made across Western North Carolina—we invite you to explore our full FY24–25 Annual Report. 

Other February Headlines:

FY24–25 Annual Report: Rising Together

MANNA’s FY 2024–2025 Annual Report is now available — and it tells the story of a year that redefined resilience across Western North Carolina. Read more.

Partner Spotlight: Bountiful Cities Launches Share Market

The Share Market program is a unique model of free food distribution that invites community gardeners to share their excess produce with their neighbors in need. Read more.

Souper Bowl of Caring

Our friends at Ingles Markets and WLOS joined us for their Souper Bowl of Caring, an all-day fundraising event that raised more than 2,400 pounds of food donations and more than $28,000 of financial donations! Read more.