Non-Profit
Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank
Neighbors Feeding Neighbors By: Jennifer Schwabauer In a recent survey conducted by a regional Ventura County food bank, more than 15,000 households in the Conejo Valley were identified as being “food-insecure,” defined as lacking reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food. And it’s not just families who are suffering. The fastest growing population of food-insecure people in the Conejo Valley is seniors living on a fixed income and soon Baby Boomers will be the largest group of retirees in history and the least prepared to handle the financial burden of retirement. Fortunately, Conejo Valley have always been a caring and compassionate community, not afraid to meet hunger head-on through its generous support of Manna, the Conejo Valley’s food bank. Back in 1971, a national recession had aerospace employees in the Conejo Valley being laid off in record numbers. As the number of unemployed professionals grew, so did the concern over their families’ well-being. That’s when a group of civic-minded people and several local churches banded together to help these families in need. There was no formal thought of creating a
and single location to store and distribute food and for people to receive food. Up until 1984, a small building in “Old Town” Thousand Oaks served as Manna’s first permanent location. With this new location, Manna’s community outreach grew—partnering with schools, businesses, civic groups, faith-based organizations and individuals to provide the foods necessary to stock the pantry. Today, 45-years after its informal beginnings, Manna is the largest and most respected hunger relief organization in the greater Conejo Valley area helping more than 12,000 people each year feel secure in knowing where their next meal will come from. Manna’s primary service is its “choice-model” food pantry—a small market-style space where families can choose from a wide variety of pantry items rather than receive a pre-packaged bag or box. This distribution method not only supports a strong sense of dignity among clients, but is an effective distribution method because clients choose food items they know their families will like. An army of more than 150 volunteers donate over 2,200 hours annually to help escort clients through the pantry, sort and organize food donations, work on food drives, provide leadership, and help raise the funds needed to support our mission: “To feed hungry people in the Conejo Valley.” Special programs throughout the year serve even more households who struggle to get by.
food pantry or even a food bank. It was simply to have neighbors feeding neighbors—Manna’s continuing goal today. This small group of dedicated volunteers collected food from churches, connected with local grocery stores and turned over their homes to store and distribute food each day to those who were in need. As the recession lingered and the need grew even greater, it became evident that Manna needed a more permanent 34 | ConejoView
FALL 2017
“60 Days of Holiday”—which runs from November 1 to December 31—provides families with a variety of special holiday foods to augment their regular pantry visit, so every family in need can enjoy a holiday celebration of their own. The Emergency Food Bag program distributes a selection of easy-to-open, non-perishable food items that are pre-selected and pre-bagged—ready for quick distribution in emergency situations such as evictions, loss of a job or flight from domestic violence. In the last five years, Manna has reached deep into the community to strategically acquire the foods needed for families and individuals to put warm, hearty meals on their table. Manna strives at all times to ”level out” the