Thanks to our incredible community, MANNA is ready to provide MORE fresh, nutritious food to WNC families in need.

On May 1, MANNA FoodBank staff, board of directors, volunteers, and capital campaign supporters celebrated the completion of the Space to Erase Hunger building project.

The successful culmination of planning, fundraising, and construction expanded our existing warehouse space to accommodate and distribute even more nutritious, health-supporting foods like local produce, calcium-rich dairy products, meat, and other protein-dense perishables. This expansion project is an important step in our efforts to set the stage for the future by addressing WNC’s nutritional needs, and continues our efforts to end hunger here in our mountain home.

The dedication ceremony included a special blessing by Cherokee elder Jerry Wolfe, Beloved Man of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who set the intention for the space to support our community’s ongoing work to provide food with hope and dignity. The ceremony ended with Honorary Campaign Chair David Holt performing a song especially for the occasion, followed by the customary ribbon cutting by David and two of our longest serving regular volunteers, Ken and Marj Loken.

The impact of our expanded capacity will dramatically increase our ability to address what numerous studies are beginning to show: the strong connections between hunger and health can not be overlooked. For MANNA to continue the work of ending hunger, we must also work to address the health concerns that come with food insecurity. A lack of nutritious food can create medical issues such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and more.

Thanks to the dedication of our community, MANNA is better equipped than ever before to source, warehouse, and distribute perishable food that is a MUST for a healthy diet.

We would love to show you the how the renovations have increased our food storage capacity, improved our volunteer center, and more. If you are interested in taking a tour of our facilities, please contact our Chief Development Officer, Mary Nesbitt at (828) 299-3663 ext. 1230.