Good Deeds in December

This last year, Manna was the fortunate recipient of an outpouring of generosity and goodwill during the month of December. Our motto is " Neighbors feeding neighbors" and we distributed an average of 5,000 pounds of food a week to 1,310 of our neighbors in the Conejo Valley in during the last month of 2013. As you can imagine, December is a very active time for food donations.  And this year was no exception, with an estimated 100 food drives specifically for the benefit of Manna Conejo Food Bank from virtually all areas of our community. One of the biggest was the City of Thousand Oaks "Food For Fines" drive conducted at the Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park public libraries. A great example of local government teaming with a local non-profit organization to improve the quality of life for those in need. Another one that really touched our hearts was the "Caroling for Cans" drive by student members of the Interact Club at Newbury Park High School. The energy of vibrant kids combined with generosity really enlivened the holiday spirit for the entire Manna community.  Including our invaluable team of volunteers. Donation and collection is a community effort along with the important job of distribution.  That's where Manna volunteers come in. In December 121 wonderful people donated a total of 424 hours of volunteer time to distribute food under Manna's unique pantry model. After 42 years of serving the Conejo Valley, Manna continues to provide the opportunity for our beautiful, vibrant community to come together in the spirit of generosity and service. Thank you.