There are so many ways to give back to the community, especially when you live in the great city of Philadelphia. Philly Dentistry loves to stay connected with the community by giving back and volunteering whenever we can. Recently, some of our staff volunteered at the MANNA Organization which helps deliver nourishing, healthy meals to those battling life-threatening illnesses.
History of MANNA
In 1990, MANNA was founded with a mission to help relief people battling with the terrible disease of AIDS. Often times, people dealing with this awful disease had no where to go because of the stigma that went along with AIDS. When there was nowhere else to go they could always count on the love, care, and nourishing meals that went along with MANNA. In 1997, MANNA wanted to help more people fighting critical illnesses like cancer, diabetes, and cardiac disease so it moved to a 10,000 square foot office with a commercial kitchen. In 2008, MANNA received a $1 million grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a $500,000 check from Steven Korman who is a philanthropist and business leader, and other gifts and donations from the community of Philadelphia. Today, MANNA is generating three meals a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year in its state-of-the-art facility located on 20th Street in Philadelphia. They now have a staff of more than 30, along with a full commercial kitchen and a convoy of trucks to deliver nourishing food to people battling serious illnesses in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.
Volunteering at MANNA
When you first arrive at MANNA you are welcomed right away with a smile and taken back to watch an introduction video about the history and mission of MANNA. After watching the video, you then go to the kitchen where the MANNA staff explains to your group who is responsible for each specific duty. The duties include, each person placing a different food into their designated space on the plate and then moving it along the line to the next person to place more food, and so on, until it is sealed shut and stacked to be transported to the trucks to be delivered to patients. Our team at Philly Dentistry helped to make over a thousand meals for MANNA. Each year MANNA has over 4,200 volunteers who donate over 40,000 hours to help those in need and get the nourishment they deserve.
How to get Involved?
There are different ways to get involved with MANNA either if it’s with a group or individually. To get all the information you need or to answer any questions you may have you can visit https://www.mannapa.org/volunteeratmanna/ call at 215-496-2662 ext. 100 or email at volunteers@mannapa.org and be part of the “MANNA Miracle” and help those in need.
