Monday, March 28, 2011

Coordinated Help

It was a little after 9:00 am on Saturday that the phone call came in. It was from the Lansdale borough office. The Stanbridge Apartments were on fire, and the lobby of the borough building was filling up with people displaced by the fire. While Manna was not equipped to handle a situation of this magnitude alone, we were able to help the borough take the necessary first steps. The Red Cross, which would be a first-responder to the emergency, would need a call from a borough official to take action. We provided the borough with the number, then contacted a local response team to make arrangements for a place to gather all the individuals affected by the fire.

Arrangements were made to take everyone to Trinity Lutheran Church, where the Red Cross could meet with them. Manna had food and drinks delivered to the church, and by the end of the day, the Red Cross had made accommodations at local hotels so that the people in need had a place to stay for the next few days. Over the coming days we will work with the Stanbridge Apartments and the households displaced by the fire to provide additional guidance.

While a fire and families displaced is far from an ideal situation, it was encouraging to see how the community and various organizations came together in a time of need...

Monday, March 21, 2011

Surface Tension

She came in during the evening for the food pantry. We'll call her Mary.

As part of the check-in process we looked up her record to see if she was receiving all the help possible. According to our system, Mary was 32 years old. She had recently separated from her husband and had custody of the three children. It wasn't clear if she was receiving food stamps (now called SNAP) so we asked Mary, and she said no she wasn't receiving the aid, but she could really use the extra help and could we look into making the connection for her.

When Mary lifted her head to say thank you, she had the look on her face that we've seen so many times before... this quiet fear, just below the surface. She knew that she was in a difficult situation. If she were to lose her job, have a major illness or even a significant car repair bill, life for her and her children could become almost unlivable.

With many of the good people that come to Manna for help, that surface tension is very real. At times it's difficult for us to discern; people are proud and don't want to be a burden to others. They want to be able to make it on their own. Sometimes, it's just hard...

Monday, March 14, 2011

home

It's a routine for Bud, Sam and Hank (not their real names). They come in to Manna each day, twice a day, for a meal. While they are served the same food, each of them is filled in a different way. Bud is outgoing, telling his life stories, joking with volunteers and other guests. Sam will contribute to a conversation on occasion, while Hank is content to just eat and then leave. We don't pressure anyone to interact, but try to make them feel welcome, like they're at home. We recognize that home means different things to different people...

Monday, March 7, 2011

Voices from the Crowd

Sometimes, passing a microphone around in a crowd can be a scary proposition. One never knows what a person might say and how long it will take them to say it. This past weekend held a pleasant surprise. It was during a faith-based service at a local retirement community. She was an elderly woman and wanted to share her experience in dealing with Manna. "I think about Manna as a Miracle on Main Street. It was a miracle that they fed me and helped me with my rent until I could get into a place I could afford on my own. I am blessed to be where I am now, but I don't know where I would be today without Manna..."

Later she commented that she was nervous about standing up in front of everyone, but she felt she owed it to Manna, to the community, so that everyone knew how her life had been changed...