Manna Cafe Ministries is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that has been called to care for others since our inception in 2009. We do this primarily by combatting the ongoing issues of hunger and food insecurity, but our programs collectively benefit the underserved, our community, and our planet through food waste reductions. When disaster strikes, the community can also rely on us for emergency assistance and support. In recent years, we have expanded our services to promote the holistic wellness of at-risk community members with the intent of breaking the cycle of poverty. We utilize food as a vehicle to reach the vulnerable, seeking first to meet their basic needs and then guiding them toward other positive, permanent changes. The culmination of this venture is our headquarters, The Manna Village─a community of like-minded people and agencies who are committed to providing basic needs, essential services, and practical resources to help rebuild the lives of the less fortunate.
Our mission of serving people in need is accomplished through the following programs:
- Pickin' Up Manna: A food rescue program salvaging roughly 1.5 million of surplus, viable food from disposal through our collaboration with local restaurants, grocers, retailers, farmers, and other community agencies and donors throughout Middle TN.
- Food Distribution: A food pantry that provides over 20,000 boxes of groceries annually to roughly 18,000 unduplicated, low-income individuals across two counties. Distribution occurs three days per week in Montgomery County and once weekly in Stewart County. Food boxes are generously filled with food that we purchase at discounted prices and salvage from local sources. They often include grass-fed meats; free range, local eggs; dairy items; fruits, organic vegetables; grain products; and canned goods. A food box can typically help to feed a small family for an estimated 7-10 days.
- Mobile Cafe: A soup kitchen on wheels program that serves more than 25,000 hot, nutritious meals annually, 8 times per week.
- Mobile Pantries: One-day events providing groceries to approximately 300 clients in remote, underserved areas of Montgomery and Stewart County.
- Manna HELPS (Health Essentials, Lifeskills, and Prevention Strategies): The Manna Village's umbrella program that provides vital resources and services such as warming/cooling centers during extreme weather; a clothing ministry; showers twice weekly with personal hygiene items; free health clinics; a computer center; and casework services.
- Manna CATERS (Culinary Arts Training and Employment Readiness School): A kitchen internship program providing at-risk individuals with culinary training and a pathway to gainful employment in the food or hospitality industry upon successful course completion.
- Manna BOOSTs (Better Opportunities Outside School Times): Offers at-risk youth and their families hands-on nutrition education sessions, nourishing meals and snacks, clothing and household items, and back-to-school supplies.