Montgomery Community Media

It seems fitting to talk about exciting ongoings in The Meat Department the day I bring a leftover burger in for lunch. Okay, perhaps I should mention it’s a veggie burger. Now, I realize some people think becoming a vegetarian is a big mistake missed steak, but I don’t carrot all. Manna Food Center’s Nutrition […]

Montgomery County chain restaurants are required to include calorie counts and other nutritional information on their menus and menu boards. Recently a survey completed by the University of Maryland confirmed that the information does impact choices made by consumers. Council member George Leventhal sponsored the legislation and comments in this video report. Visit our PEG […]

I’ve spent most of the past month at Manna learning how to manage our Smart Sacks’ program, that is, our weekend food assistance program for children experiencing hunger in Montgomery County schools.  Currently, we partner with 56 schools in the county and distribute just over 2,000 bags of food to students who would benefit from […]

Nataly Astorima, a Public Health Science student at the University of Maryland College Park, interned with Manna over the last few months. She worked with our nutritionist Jenna Umbriac to do surveys of our clients and speak to the community. Check out her experiences! Over the past 5 months, I have had the privilege of […]

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.  […]

Have you ever wadded up a ten dollar bill and thrown it in the trash or taken a handful of quarters and tossed them down the garbage disposal?  Of course not, or at least not intentionally. How about some yogurt that was just past it’s sell by date or an apple that was slightly moldy […]

Here at Manna, we work hard to provide the 32.3% of MCPS school children who qualify for free- and reduced-price meals (FARMS) with nutritious foods for the weekend. Our Karen Goldberg Smart Sacks program provides over 2,000 elementary school kids with bags of meals and snacks for the weekend when FARMS are unavailable.   Kids […]

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, […]

Poor nutrition can lead to multiple medical problems, including liver failure, headaches, abdominal pains, and heart disease, diabetes and auto-immune diseases. Citizen Journalist Alandra Nicole Moreira interviews Dr. Moreira about nutrition.