There is a strong thread connecting thousands of people together here in Western North Carolina. People of every background, age, and culture come together to achieve something very fundamental: Get real food to real people in need.
We see communities come together to start a food pantry where it’s most needed, volunteers streaming into the warehouses to sort food and drive trucks, and grocery store partners donating food by the truckload. Because of the dedication and involvement of so many, in 2016, MANNA distributed a record amount of food through our partner agency network:
16.4 million pounds
While we know that this is a major milestone, this record amount of food is a direct response to the amount of demand we experienced in 2016. We distributed more food than ever before, because the demand for food across WNC is higher than ever. This urgent need is what brings so many of us together to work to end hunger in our region.
We live in a complicated world with complex problems that can seem too big for us to solve. But hunger is a problem we CAN solve, together. The solution is there: The US throws away almost 40% of the food produced in the country. Instead of this surplus food going to a landfill, MANNA works to redirect this perfectly good food to the families that need it most.
It takes all of us, doing something, to end hunger. But it is a problem we CAN solve, together!
From all of us at MANNA, thank you for your commitment to ending hunger in WNC. Onward, to full tables, full plates, and full hearts.