“Too many neighbors struggle with food issues in the Verde Valley. Food pantries are like grocery stores”. Mike took us through the process Manzanita uses to start their food distribution business. They are a charitable business, very low cost, uses volunteers, They have 3 warehouses, 100’s of volunteers. Manzanita first defined the gap where food gets distributed and doesn’t. They gathered census data, found many were homebound, living in cars. Out of a population of 60K in the Verde Valley, 1 in 6 need food help. They currently have 1 borrowed truck, they feed 100 households per month, low cost due to little admin costs, also now distributing personal hygiene items and books, senior food boxes to 60 recipients, approx. 20 locations that use a “Food proxy’ program ie. Pick up food from the Manzanita warehouse and distribute to homes …150 recipients. They have started a “Backpack Program” to distribute food to kids for “weekend” food. There are 27 homeless kids living in cars in Sedona!!!

 

“Hunger in America is a distribution problem not a food problem…there is enough food . Manzanita has many sources…the trick is getting it to the right people at the time needed. If Manzanita could have a reasonable growth, hunger in the Verde Valley could end.” 

 

Meal packs are created at Manzanita, the 3^rdSaturday, 10-12, which will feed 300-400 families. 

 

This was a most interesting and poignant story. There were several suggestions from the audience: grant application as well as a service project that our club could participate in.