A Note From the Chef: From mid-August through mid-October tomatoes at the local farmer’s markets are sweet, abundant and the least expensive of the year. I sometimes ask the vendor if they will sell me their not-so-good looking ones at a discount for this recipe in mind. At the supermarket, I prefer Roma tomatoes becauseRead more
Keeping our doors open during this pandemic and making sure we have plentiful food choices for local families hasn’t been easy. In fact, our staff and volunteers have been working extra-long hours to manage the intake and distribution of food as front-line workers for the families who are impacted by loss of income due to Public Health Orders. Many of our volunteers who are over 65 have stayed home and stayed away from the front lines since the start of the pandemic.
Due to positive Covid-19 test results received by staff members over the past 2 days, Manna has decided to temporarily suspend food distribution and donation collection while our staff self-isolates at home
Manna has been rigorously following all safety guidelines throughout the pandemic. We are not certain that the exposure to our staff came from working at Manna or while they were elsewhere. If you have been inside of the Manna facility at any time since July 20, 2020, we urge you to take caution with any vulnerable friends or family members and get tested immediately and please follow all recommendations from your healthcare provider(s). We would like to assure everyone that the staff and volunteers at Manna are taking all necessary recommendations and precautions set forth by the Ventura County Health Administration and the CDC regarding notifications, contact tracing, cleaning and re-opening protocols. It is our intention to remain closed until August 14th, 2020 or possibly later to ensure a safe environment for our staff, volunteers and the clients we serve.
We will post updates (including a planned reopening date) to our website and social media as new information becomes available. We look forward to continuing Manna’s mission and work in helping those in food crisis in the Conejo Valley. Our staff members allowed Manna to stay open despite the risks to their own health. We wish them a speedy recovery and a safe return to the front lines.