In mid-2017, Manna Food Center introduced their new project: Manny, a school bus that would be renovated and refurbished to be able to travel around Montgomery County as a mobile kitchen and pop-up pantry. Over the past few months, Manna Food Center staff, particularly Jaimie Mulligan, the new Program Coordinator for Manny, has worked to tweak and perfect Manny and has prepared for the program to take to the streets this March. Food Council staff had the opportunity to visit Manna and speak with Jaimie to learn more about Manny and how it will benefit Montgomery County beginning in March.
Manny was created to serve two purposes: first, as a mobile kitchen and classroom where trained instructors and volunteers will teach general nutrition principles via cooking classes. The bus can accommodate 12 adults or 15 children, and has the prep tables and tools to make healthy snacks and meals. The “Small Bites” nutrition curriculum will be used to teach the younger children, 3rd-5th graders, recipes that are easy for them to make on their own. This curriculum, developed by Common Threads, connects math, language arts and science concepts to hands-on cooking experiences, encouraging healthier habits. The main objective of the mobile classroom is to teach participants of all ages how they can lower their added sugar and salt intake, and incorporate more vegetables into their diet.
The second purpose of Manny is a pop-up pantry that will travel to areas of need in the county that Manna has been otherwise unable to reach in the past. Such areas include Damascus, parts of Germantown, Gaithersburg, and Rockville. The prep tables that are set up when Manny is a mobile kitchen will be switched out for racks that can hold enough food to serve up to 50 families. Instead of delivering the food off of the bus, residents will walk through Manny to easily access their food in a safe and dignified space.
The food that will be used both for lessons and distribution on Manny comes from a mixture of surpluses of fresh produce and frozen meat from local supermarkets like Giant, Costco, and Sam’s Club, as well as donations, and contributions from Capital Area Food Banks. In the summer, Manna will work with local farmers and farm partners to get fresh produce to use for the program.
Starting in early March, classes will begin being held Monday-Thursday, with the pop-up pantry being in service on the weekends. Manny is already booked up for most afternoons in March by organizations such as Montgomery Housing Partnerships, City of Gaithersburg after-school program, and MCPS schools that work with Smart Sacks. There are still openings during the day throughout March to hold classes, and increased availability in April and beyond. If you or your organization is interested in becoming involved, Manny is seeking partnerships! Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities, business partnerships, and general program information, or email Jaimie Mulligan at jaimie@mannafood.org. The Food Council is excited to see the incredible positive influence that Manny will have on improving food access and food security throughout Montgomery County!