Project MANA - A Hunger Relief Agency

It was July 1991 when Project MANA first began distributing emergency food relief out of a garage in Incline Village. We have come a long way since, including a two room office in Kings Beach with one dial-up connection to the internet, to a brand new office space with new computers and 24 hour internet access plus a warehouse to store food.

Since those first days we have grown to include emergency food service to four counties and numerous nutrition education programs.

Our mission has not changed, “to reduce the incidence of hunger and its detrimental effects upon individuals, the local community and the region,” by:

• Providing immediate relief to those experiencing food insecurity or at high-risk of hunger through emergency food programs.
• Working with the individuals and families who seek food assistance to identify and alleviate the root causes of their hunger.
• Mobilizing human and other community resources to advocate for the low-income population, and educating the community about hunger issues.
• Breaking the cycle of hunger to build a healthier, hunger-free community.

In addition to providing hunger relief to hundreds of families every day, we have developed programs designed to alleviate the causes of hunger and promote good nutrition through education and awareness. Our current focus is on childhood nutrition through education and awareness – its relationship to the obesity epidemic and what role Project MANA can play to prevent obesity and promote good nutrition in the early stages of development.

We work closely with the Truckee Tahoe Community Collaboration, the Parasol Community Collaboration, and the Kings Beach Family Resource Center to maintain a network of collaborating non-profits and government agencies for client referrals. We are very proud of our numbers in terms of the food we provide, but what counts is how our programs affect our clients. Here are some of the real life stories that are the true measure of what we do (names have been changed).

Emergency Food Relief (year-round): Emergency referrals from collaborating agencies plus five weekly food distributions in three counties, in total averaging over 300 meals provided per day. How – We use rescued food, food from food drives, food bank commodities, and food that we purchase from wholesalers. The majority of our clients work in the service industry that supports our tourist economy. Some are long-term and will always be financially challenged. Others are temporary and just need help until they can get on their feet. Profile – Cindy and Walter a young married couple arrived here from Colorado. Walter went to work in management with one of the local ski resorts while Cindy looked for work. The expense of moving and the high cost of living was more than they had accounted for. For three months Cindy was a regular at Project MANA’s food distribution in Kings Beach. Eventually she got a job and with two incomes they were able to take care of themselves and stopped using our services. Five years later Cindy was the volunteer president of a local charity and was able to contribute funds back to Project MANA as well as many other non-profits in the region.

Food Express (year-round): Food rescue from local food vendors, donations/food drives, USDA commodities, and food purchases to ensure consistent quality and quantity for our clients. How – Before each distribution, volunteers rescue food from local vendors and farmer’s markets. This is food that would be thrown away because it has dated. The stores can no longer sell it but it is still nutritionally viable. Food drives are held on a quarterly basis and sponsored by local businesses and schools. We are also a member of the regional food bank and can access their rescued food as well. We purchase fresh fruits and vegetables on a weekly basis. Fact – We rescue and redistribute over 100,000 pounds of foods every year that would otherwise be wasted.

Hunger Awareness (year-round): To promote awareness of local and global hunger through interactive presentations to local middle schools. Every 2 years we hold a “Community Hunger Awareness Banquet,” targeted at members of the community. How – This is an interactive game involving students and members of the community. The goal is to raise awareness of local as well as global hunger issues. According to the USDA approximately 12 million Americans experience “Food insecurity” (= not always knowing where your next meal is coming from.) Profile – After implementing a hunger awareness banquet in a local school we received a phone call from a parent. The mother was very impressed with the impact the exercise had on her child. She said her daughter now keeps a small bag of rice where she can see it in her kitchen to remind her of the hunger that exists in the world.

FACE (Fresh Alternatives Create Empowerment) (year-round): We recruit community volunteers to shop, deliver groceries, and advocate for clients that are homebound either because of age or illness. How – Community volunteers deliver groceries to clients on a weekly basis and perform other essential needs as identified. Many clients are on restricted diets which Project MANA purchases at local stores. Profile – Sam is terminally ill and bed ridden with a spinal disease. The doctors say he has already outlived his life expectancy. He is on a restricted diet but enjoys eating, saying “that is his one last pleasure.” Besides delivering his groceries for the last nine years, volunteers also pick-up his mail and prescriptions for him. Unfortunately the majority of our clients on this program stay on until they die or go into the hospital. We do occasionally get temporary clients with broken legs, high risk pregnancy, and other temporary problems. These clients leave the program when they get well.

Nutrition Education (six week course for second graders): We work in collaboration with five local elementary schools to supplement existing health curriculums with hands-on nutritional activities. How - Project MANA staff goes into the schools and works with the teachers and students. Profile – We received a phone call from a parent. She wanted us to know that her son came home after taking our class in Nutrition Education and began to tell her the ingredients in certain foods and how to read the labels on cans. She was very impressed and thankful that we provide this class.

Nutrition Education (six week course for children 0-5, parents, teachers, and service providers): Nutrition education and activities with local pre-schools and teachers. How –Project MANA staff goes into the pre-schools and works with the teachers to do hands-on nutrition activities such as making healthy snacks and eating them. We also use the Glow, Grow, Go curriculum. Profile – Many of the students have the opportunity to try new foods (yogurt, different fruits) and they like it when they see their friends eating it.

Fuel For The Holidays (School holidays): This program was developed, in collaboration with the Boys’ and Girls’ Club, to provide a hot lunch during the holidays for Kings Beach elementary school where 62% of the students are enrolled in the federally assisted school lunch program. How - Project MANA staff and community volunteers plan menus and cook lunches with help from the staff and board members of the Boys’ and Girls’ Club.

Kids Can Cook (six week course): This program was developed to work in collaboration with Fuel for the Holidays and Nutrition Education. In this after school program, we teach “latch key” kids about cooking and nutrition in the kitchen. How – Project MANA staff plans menus and prepares snacks and meals with the kids. Sometimes we are able to find a local chef that will volunteer. Profile – A popular local chef (Mark Estee and staff) often do this class for us. At the end of the six week course the kids are invited to prepare their own meal in his restaurant. They cook it and are then served at a table in the restaurant.

Dar a Luz (two six week cycles): This is our Latino outreach program that provides courses in “Learning for Life,” including money management, nutrition, smart shopping, pre- and post-natal nutrition. How – A bilingual staff person coordinates the classes. Profile – Sylvia attended Project MANA food distributions every week requesting emergency food for her family. She enrolled in the six week Dar a Luz course and after completion she cut her visits for emergency food by 50% and began coming on her own to do volunteer work at the Project MANA office.

Community Gardens (May – Sept.): Demonstration gardens are established in Truckee, Kings Beach, and Incline Village. This program was developed to demonstrate the nutritional and economic value of having your own garden. The program has been expanded to provide examples to children of the origins of food. How – Project MANA staff prepares the gardens with volunteers. We also conduct garden classes open to the public. Profile – In the fall we invite students from the middle school and preschools to help with the harvest of our gardens. After we pick the lettuce and other greens we prepare a fresh salad for everyone to share. Believe it or not, we have students that eat salad for the first time.

In addition to our programs, we continue to develop “program support activities,” to reinforce our programs, promote sustainability, and educate the public about the role of our program as a hunger relief organization, including:

• Quarterly food drives by community volunteers.
• Regular contributions to the local newspapers that address hunger and nutrition issues.
• Garden manual specific to high altitude gardening.
• Cookbook with nutritious, budget conscious recipes.

Advocacy

In addition to programmatic responses to community needs and problems, Project MANA continues to communicate its views on hunger issues and current legislative proposals affecting hunger and poverty to our local, state and national leaders. We have actively supported and participated in local and state-wide efforts initiated by the Northern Nevada Food Bank, World Hunger Year, the Center on Hunger and Poverty, FRAC and California Association of Food Banks, and the Feinstein Foundation, to speak out on proposed changes in programs that serve the hungry and poor. Project MANA’s Community Education Coordinator is assigned to the task of developing community awareness initiatives and planning hunger awareness activities and lectures with local schools and the community.

Traditionally, Project MANA’s role in the community has been to act as a safety net for individuals who fall between the cracks of federal assistance programs and to provide services that are not available elsewhere in our rural community. Our clients are the working poor who are employed in the service industry which supports our tourist economy.

In accordance with Project MANA polices, all clients are eligible to receive food supplements twelve times per year and request additional emergency food supplements six times per year. When a client requests emergency assistance beyond their six times or receives food supplements twelve times over a 12 month period they are required to meet with family advocates. The advocates are trained to assess clients for their particular situation and why they continue to need assistance. This assessment may lead to a new agreement based on their particular situation, including possible referrals to other collaborating agencies. Working with agreements, clients are part of the process from the beginning, empowering them to make decisions that can improve their particular situations.

We believe that adequate food for the maintenance of physical, emotional and mental well-being is a necessary right of humanity, as well as being in the overall best interest of every community. In addition to providing hunger relief, we are always improving our programs that are designed to help alleviate some of the causes of hunger.