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...

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...

Not looking ahead

An important part of what the staff and board of directors do at Manna is to look out over an extended time horizon. We ask a lot of questions about how can we better serve the community next year and in the years to come:

• Are there emerging needs that are not entirely visible
• How are the demographics in our region evolving
• How might changes in government and other agencies influence what we do
  

As we concentrate on the long view, we ask our daily volunteers to help in another area: focus intently on the needs of the day. We ask them to make that extra effort to be gentle, supportive and generous as the people come in to eat or to take home groceries to their families. Though they may hunger for food, we feed their souls as well.

Indeed, looking to the future is very important, and we plan carefully for the years ahead. At the same time, tending to today is critical, because for many of the people we serve, today is all they are able to deal with...

Down the drain

It can drive our young volunteers crazy. A donation of soda comes in to Manna, and they ask what to do with it. We instruct them to take it back to the kitchen and pour it down the drain. They protest:

- It' still good
- Why waste it
- I'll take it home

We then explain that part of our mission is to provide healthy choices for our guests (and our volunteers). And while our diners may choose to consume soda and other unhealthy items on their own, we want to show them that we care about their well being. It also demonstrates our conviction to nudge our clients toward making sensible choices when it comes to their diet...

Stowe Away

The total time invested was about 20 minutes. A young woman arrived at Manna, someone we had not seen before, and she looked troubled. We learned that she had hitch-hiked her way from Florida, with the destination being New York city. She was traveling with a male companion that had become abusive. All she wanted to do was to get back home, but she didn't know how she would be able to get away without him knowing.

Our case manager, Nadja, worked quickly. She talked with Barry, our food service manager and the two of them whisked the girl out to Manna's van. Not wanting to be seen, the girl lay on the van's floor while she was driven to the train station. As they arrived at the station, the train was about to depart, so Barry stalled them long enough for Nadja to buy a ticket and rush the girl onto the train. Already, Nadja had made arrangements with another social service organization in Philadelphia to assure that the girl would find her way to her home in Florida.

Many things, often unseen, happen in the midst of our days...

Our Kids

Some people are incredulous when they learn that every school day, we send 200 healthy snacks to the Boys & Girls Clubs in Lansdale and Souderton. The Club has an after-school homework program for disadvantaged youth. The kids arrive at The Club hungry after a long day of school, their lunch period long forgotten. They need a little energy boost to concentrate on their school work and so that's what we provide them.

More than one person has asked why we spend our own money to prepare food that supports another agency's program. They miss the point. We're not supporting programs, we're feeding kids in need. Just because the children wind up at a different facility doesn't change the reality that they're still our kids...

no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, yes

That's about the ratio - 8 nos for every 1 yes. On average, we receive about 100 requests for financial help each month, and the dominating response is no. The reasons are varied:

• no, you're outside our service area
• no, we're temporarily out of funding
• no, we don't cover car repair bills
  
• no, you didn't tell us the truth about your finances
• no, even if we pay all you bills now, next month you will be in the same situation

It is frustrating for the those that come for help. For the most part, their needs are genuine, and we are often their last hope for support. For us, it is especially difficult denying them aid for necessary items like heating oil, knowing it's not a luxury item, but a matter of staying warm. Still, we are all thankful for the times we can say yes...