Montgomery Community Media

Ride On bus passengers can help needy families and receive a free bus ride by donating canned or nonperishable food during Ride On’s annual food drive. The food drive, started by a group of bus drivers over 20 years ago, goes from Sunday, April 22, through Saturday April 28, 2012. During the week, food collection […]

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.  […]

This weekend, the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival takes over the Gaitherburg-based Montgomery County Fairgrounds! The festival presents over 250 top artisans selling their wares throughout the fairgrounds, including furniture, jewelry, and specialty items for the ones you love. “In addition to top national artists, the Festival will also introduce new and emerging artists showcasing the latest […]

The Montgomery County Muslim Foundation (MCMF) is holding the second half of their food drive this weekend at local Giant Food stores! Last weekend brought in thousands of pounds of food for Manna, and we hope this weekend will be even more of a success. Last year, the MCMF brought in over 10,000 pounds of […]

Here at Manna, we continue to see more clients than ever. This month already, we’ve served over 3,200 families – and we still have a few days left in the shortest month of the year! Last year, we averaged 3,400 families a month; in 2013, we expect that to be closer to 3,600 or 3,700 […]

I know my experience this week is not comparable to many people who survive with the help of government assistance for food. However, there are bound to be some commonalities.  “The end of the month was really hard.” One of my friends shared that with me a few days ago as she remembered the time […]

If you were on a strict clothing budget, you wouldn’t go into Nordstrom Rack and pick up a pair of pants that don’t match anything else in your wardrobe. You probably wouldn’t even buy them if they went with just 1 or 2 items. No. In this scenario you want a pair of pants that […]

Jenna Umbriac, Manna’s dietitian, will be blogging about Councilwoman Valerie Ervin’s SNAP the Silence Challenge. Saving money on your weekly food purchase begins before you even enter the grocery store.  Planning is the key to getting the healthiest food for your money.  So be SMART before you shop by following these money-saving tips: S – […]

Jenna Umbriac, Manna’s dietitian, will be blogging about Councilwoman Valerie Ervin’s SNAP the Silence Challenge. The challenge begins on Monday, but Jenna is already preparing: Yesterday I began my preparation for the upcoming SNAP the Silence challenge. This activity is designed to increase awareness about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps, […]

The 17 annual Taste of Wheaton is set for this Sunday, May 20 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the Wheaton Triangle at the corner of Grandview Avenue and Reedie Drive in downtown Wheaton (one block north of the Wheaton Metro station). There will be live entertainment and a variety of food options. Take […]