Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Sweet Home Emergency Ministries’ Manna program is experiencing a different kind of a problem than most programs of its type.
It doesn’t have enough people to eat all of the food it has available for low- and fixed-income persons.
Manna runs from 5 to 6 p.m. on Fridays at the United Methodist Church on Sixth Avenue.
The men from the United Methodist Church started running the program in February after it had been shut down for a while.
The program receives food from the Linn-Benton Food Bank Food Rescue Program every two weeks. Most of the food comes from stores such as Fred Meyer or Safeway. The program also receives prepared meals from Oregon State University.
The program ran under a different name, coordinator Bob Hartsock said. It was struggling and eventually was unable to keep up with its commitments.
It started back up, feeding about 10 people a week, Hartsock said. Now it feeds 15 to 35 on Saturdays at the Crawfordsville Community Church, 35 to 50 at the United Methodist Church on Fridays and 25 to 35 at the Res in Foster on Thursdays.
Those eligible to eat at Manna include persons on fixed incomes, with low incomes or below the federal poverty line, Hartsock said. The program also will feed people who are “just trying to stretch a budget” or “make ends meet.”
No income checks are made, and guests do not need to fill out any forms to eat, Hartsock said. Manna operates on the honor system.
It is funded through SHEM, Oregon Food Bank and members of the United Methodist Church, who provide cash, time and food.
The kitchen has four certified volunteer cooks, Hartsock said. Each has a food handler’s permit.
“Here’s the problem we have,” Hartsock said. “It’s a great problem.”
On Aug. 5, the program received its food allotment, including more than 400 pounds of produce, 400 pounds of prepared food and 400 pounds of milk and and dairy products.
The church has three freezers and two refrigerators, Hartsock said, and members store additional food in their own freezers and refrigerators. The program has all of the food put away, but some of it won’t keep.
“We need more people to come and eat,” Hartsock said. “We’re missing people that should be eating here on Friday nights.”
Those people are the ones who do not get enough to eat and do not have balanced, nutritious meals, Hartsock said. Anyone who goes to SHEM or the Gleaners is eligible to eat there.
He believes part of the problem is that people do not know Manna is up and running again.
He invites people who need the help to come on up to the church and eat each week.
It is more than just a meal, Hartsock said. Regulars show up as early as 4:30 p.m. for a cup of coffee to socialize. A man who started eating there a month ago plays piano after eating and almost always has people singing with him.
“If we see a need to transport people, we could arrange that,” he said.
For information about Manna, call SHEM at 367-6504 or the church at 367-3073.