Sheldon C. Good, director of development and strategic direction at Manna on Main Street, is speaking to the crowds at the annual Race to End Hunger. (Credit: Sheldon C. Good)
The 14th annual Race to End Hunger will be held Saturday, April 5, 2025 at Knapp Elementary School
Manna on Main Street is committed to ending hunger in the North Penn region through its food pantry, soup kitchen, emergency financial aid and other important services.
Its mission is to “serve those in need with the hope ‘that everyone might be fed.”
According to Manna on Main Street Director of Development and Strategic Direction Sheldon C. Good, more than 73,000 people in Montgomery County are food insecure and the U.S Department of Agriculture has reported that one in seven people in the country are at risk of hunger.
Good spoke to Access Network about the mission and services of Manna on Main Street, and how community members can get involved.
“We are the largest nonprofit in North Penn working to end hunger and are currently based in North Penn Commons which is home to 4 nonprofits – us, The PEAK Center, the North Penn YMCA, and Advanced Living Communities, which includes affordable independent living units for seniors,” he said.
“The most satisfying part of the work we do is that we feed about 6,000 people each year. No one should be forced to go hungry, especially in Montgomery County, the second wealthiest county in Pennsylvania.”
According to Manna’s website, Manna’s Kitchen served 109,096 meals and Manna’s Market distributed 499,959 pounds of groceries to 1,648 households in 2023.
And in September of 2024, Manna opened its Online Market Hub at 10 N. Cannon Avenue in Lansdale.
“The hub has become a central point for food donations during the week and provides significant capacity to fulfill online market orders. Now we can offer in person shopping at the market and curbside pickup for online orders. We are serving a hundred more households with the hub,” he said.
Manna partners with a wide variety of organizations to fulfill its mission, including Philabundance, the North Penn School District, regional police districts and the ACLAMO in Norristown.
Good said that they are four primary ways for community members to help: Give money, food, time and participate in the annual Race to End Hunger.
All monetary donations go directly to help Manna serve its mission. In the first fiscal quarter of 2025, Good said that Manna has been experiencing a concerning funding gap at the same time there is the continued rise in demand for food at Manna.
“Times are tough for a lot of people. We are already on the way to set a new record in terms of the amount of food provided and the people we serve,” he said.
Manna also accepts food donations directly from individuals or from food drives organized by businesses, organizations or individuals.
Volunteers are also the lifeblood of the nonprofit. Good said that over 200 volunteer shifts need to be filled each week. Last year, 1,500 volunteers served 25,000 hours over the course of the year.
Community members can also help by participating in The Race to End Hunger which will be held this year on April 5, 2025, at Knapp Elementary School in Lansdale.
Good said there will be plenty of family fun, including a 10K, 5K and a Fun Run.
“All proceeds benefit Manna and the people we serve,” he said.
For more information about The Race to End Hunger, visit mannaonmain.org/rteh/
