Nutrition vs Food – The Real Hunger Fight

Although I’ve been at Manna for nearly 2 years now, I still get looks of confusion or surprise when I tell people I work at a food bank. Because I am a dietitian, folks anticipate that I will describe my work at a local hospital or private practice or maybe even directing a school cafeteria.  What is a dietitian doing at a food bank? is a question I’m happy to answer.

You see, we can eliminate the discomfort caused by lack of food, aka hunger, with a certain amount of food no matter what the quality. We cannot, however, hope to carry out the process of providing the food necessary for health and growth, aka nutrition,  without a conscious effort to distribute a certain quality of food. Don’t get me wrong, we are grateful for all the food that is donated by community members, corporations and the like.

As a donor, you can help us truly support the health of the Montgomery County community by simply following the suggestions we’ve highlighted in our Food Drive Toolkit and Wish List. Feeding our friends and neighbors is a noble and necessary act, but we do not want to set up those of us who are already struggling with additional health-related expenses in the long run. I encourage you give in a way that not only feeds but nourishes those of us who need it most.

-Jenna Umbriac, Director of Nutrition Programs

About Jenna Umbriac

Jenna Umbriac is Manna's dietitian. Since 1983, Manna has been feeding Montgomery County’s food insecure residents. In our 30 years of service Manna has served nearly 3 million people, 668,527 households, and distributed 45 million pounds of food. As the designated food bank for Montgomery County we are the main resource people turn to when they find themselves in need of food assistance. Manna delivers emergency food assistance through its three main programs: Food for Families, Smart Sacks, and Agency Food Distribution.

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