Posts By: Kara Irani

Announcing MANNA’s New CEO: Claire Neal

MANNA FoodBank is proud to welcome Claire Neal, who will be joining us on Monday, January 31st as our 6th leader in almost four decades of MANNA’s existence. We are also very pleased that Hannah Randall, our current CEO has graciously agreed to stay on for a number of weeks to help onboard Claire in… Read more »

Thanksgiving Food in WNC

Thanksgiving Food Resources in Western North Carolina If you know someone who needs a little extra help at the holidays this year, we invite you to share our food resources! Our partner agency network – nonprofit partners across 16 counties of WNC, including the Qualla Boundary – provide regular free food distributions and meals to… Read more »

The Ingles Giving Tree Tradition Continues!

Feast Your Eyes on the Ingles Giving Tree Monday, November 23, 4-6PM The 28th Ingles Giving Tree Celebrates a Long-Standing Tradition of Holiday Giving for our Friends and Neighbors Across WNC Nothing can hold back the giving spirit of the holidays here in Western North Carolina, particularly when it comes to ensuring that thousands of would-be… Read more »

Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach: “Overwhelming Gratitude”

Stories of Hope from WNC As part of #MANNAfestingHope, we are sharing quotes and stories from across WNC to highlight the reality of who needs food support right now. This story comes from our dedicated partners at Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach in Lake Lure, NC, who are operating throughout the pandemic to ensure members of… Read more »

A Message to Our WNC Community

At a time like this, we are poignantly reminded of the profound words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he said, “Our lives begin to end the day that we remain silent about things that matter.” Having witnessed lethal police violence with the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery in the… Read more »

In Times of Great Adversity…

Great People Arise and Come Together. Mid-March: When the Need Changed Overnight As the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis hit hard in mid-March, MANNA went into rapid disaster relief response mode, transforming nearly every aspect of our day-to-day operations. The necessary closings of non-essential businesses and schools plunged many people across our region into… Read more »

COVID-19 Response and Updates

(Updated 3/13/20 at 2:30PM) Letter from MANNA’s CEO, Hannah Randall Dear Friends: I am writing to update you on MANNA FoodBank’s plan as it relates to the coronavirus (COVID-19). This pandemic is evolving by the hour, and I want to affirm that our top priority is the safety and well-being of our volunteers and staff,… Read more »

“I Love My Leafy Greens”

The Importance of Nutrition in NC Mountain Towns Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Newland is a beautiful and picturesque small town. The mountains define the skyline, the downtown is a quaint culmination of a few shops and restaurants, and the people go about their day-to-day routines. Similar to other mountain towns in WNC, hunger… Read more »

Sweet Dreams, Full Plates Serves Up Record Donation

Turning down services has never tasted so sweet. The third annual Sweet Dreams, Full Plates campaign set a new record this year – donating an incredible $59,100 dollars in September to support MANNA FoodBank’s mission. “MANNA FoodBank is overwhelmed with gratitude,” said Mary Nesbitt, Chief Development Officer. “Their incredible efforts that involved all levels of… Read more »

Preparedness and Relief Efforts for Hurricane Dorian

*We will keep this page updated.* Preparedness and Relief Efforts for Hurricane Dorian What MANNA Is Doing MANNA is working very closely with our sister food banks across NC and SC to help prepare for if Hurricane Dorian hits the Carolinas. We are very sensitive to the fact that there will be both short and… Read more »