Food For Kids 2011



What if you had to wait two days to eat?


 

Mast General Store, Merrell Footwear, and MANNA FoodBank are partnering to provide children in the Waynesville area with weekend food, and you can help.  For each pair of Merrell shoes purchased at Mast Store October 1st through 16th, Merrell will fill a pack with food to feed a child for a weekend.

The MANNA FoodBank plays a vital role in our community by involving, educating, and uniting people in the work of ending hunger in Western North Carolina. MANNA is a private, not-for-profit service organization, founded in 1982, that links the food industry with 231 partner agencies in 16 counties of Western North Carolina.

The MANNA Packs for Kids Program is one invaluable resource that reaches out to at-risk elementary school children in need of food over the weekend. To help these families, MANNA provides children a large bag (usually 5 pounds) of supplemental food items, fresh fruits and vegetables, and personal care items each Friday that schools are in session.

Shirley Humphrey, a School Counselor at Emma Elementary School in Buncombe County, said, “Many of my students have told me that the food they get from the MANNA Packs Program on Fridays was what they had to eat for the weekend. I have seen an increase in student optimism because of this program. The parents truly appreciate the help, and the families really do use the food. This program has also increased awareness among our faculty and staff about the issues of poverty and hunger.”

Will you please join MANNA FoodBank’s mission by stopping by Mast General Store and outfitting yourself with a pair of Merrell shoes? You can walk proud knowing each step you take in your new Merrell shoes is one step closer to preventing childhood hunger in Waynesville. Thank you.