Rotary Clubs of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties will once again join Manna in the fight against hunger on Saturday, February 16 during the 8th Annual Rotary Against Hunger service project, which will create more than 50,000 meals for Manna to distribute through Manna’s programs and pantries in the two-county area.
Rotary Against Hunger is a project of the Combined Rotary Clubs of Pensacola (CROP) that launched in 2012, and more than 250 volunteers are expected to contribute to the project – a morning spent packing nutritious lentil casserole packets. Since its inception, CROP has packed a total of 599,326 meals for the hungry.
“This will be the eighth year that Rotary has teamed up with Manna, ensuring that these meals will be distributed in a manner that will serve the needs of many families in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties,” said Tracy Allen, Rotary Against Hunger Project Chair. “Through this project, Rotary is striving to exemplify Service Above Self, the Rotary motto.”
According to Manna Executive Director DeDe Flounlacker, the project has become a critical part of their ability to meet the needs of the hungry throughout the year in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
“The Rotary Against Hunger project provides much-needed food during the winter and early spring months when giving has decreased and need has increased,” said Flounlacker. “Last year, Manna provided food assistance to 13,533 people. Many are the working poor, grandparents raising their grandchildren, and moms and dads who do not have enough money to pay their bills and buy food for their family. Thanks to our Rotary friends, thousands of our neighbors in need will be given the gift of nutritious food.”
For more information about Manna, please visit mannahelps.org.
