You Are Welcome Here: The Neighbor Experience
Hi Neighbor! We all need a little help sometimes, and your experiences and feedback are important to us.
Here you’ll find information on what to expect when visiting the partners listed on our Food Finder, and how to reach out to us with questions and feedback.
First, what is the relationship between MANNA FoodBank and our partners?
MANNA is a member of Feeding America’s network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs. Together, this network serves every county in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
As a food bank, MANNA is a nonprofit organization that receives millions of pounds of food and then redistributes it to our partners. The food is generally either donated, purchased, or received through government programs.
From our warehouse in Mills River, we distribute the vast majority of this food to our partners. Our partners are independent nonprofit organizations and churches. They provide the food pantries and meal sites to distribute millions of pounds of food throughout our service area each year. We do give food directly to neighbors through MANNA Community Markets, but compared to our partnerships, these markets are a small piece of the puzzle.
When you go to get food:
These are the signs you’ll see posted at a food pantry or meal site. You should never be asked to provide any kind of ID, documentation, or referral to receive food. Need is self-declared, because you know best what your needs are.
The process will vary by location and program. If a pantry offers The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which is a government program, you must qualify by income. If you receive SNAP benefits you will automatically qualify, but you should never be asked to show your benefit card. You may be asked to share your household income, name, or address. Partners that do not offer TEFAP may only ask you how many people are in your household.
Many of our partners offer full choice shopping, so you may choose the foods that are best for you. You can reach out to partners on our Food Finder to ask if they offer full choice, or reach out to us directly. You can also call or text our HelpLine for help locating food near you, or for help filling out SNAP paperwork.
Mountain Community Insights:
Some partners use a digital platform called Mountain Community Insights. This platform will ask a few more questions, including demographic information, that help us understand our neighbors and their needs, all so that we may serve you better. This additional information is optional.