PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Long before they sat down for their own Thanksgiving, hundreds of volunteers gathered at MANNA at 20th and Hamilton Streets to deliver meals to 700 critically ill Philadelphia-area residents and their families.
Every day, MANNA delivers thousands of specially tailored meals to those in need, and Thanksgiving Day is no different, said Manna CEO Sue Doughtery.
“We're going to have about 200 volunteer drivers show up and get it to the households of our clients,” said Doughtery. “They're too sick to cook for themselves or their family. So we are going to show up, provide the gourmet meal for enough food for four, so that they're not alone on Thanksgiving.”
David Zaccardi was one of those drivers.
“Food is definitely medicine, and I've been in a situation where I've needed good nutrition to recover from an illness, so I started volunteering here almost two years ago,” Zaccardi said.
That’s the MANNA Mantra: “food is medicine.”
“It's really it's a nice thing, and especially when you see the gratitude that you bring to you get from people who receive their meals. I drive at least once a week,” he said.
The work is all volunteer. Dougherty said MANNA relies on individual donors, as well as corporate and foundation sponsors, while about 30% of their budget comes from Medicaid.
“Medicaid cuts have hurt us. We actually, unfortunately, have a wait list,” she said. “We haven't had a wait list since 2016, so our clients they need the support more than ever.”
She added that Manna’s programs ensure clients receive meals appropriate for their medical conditions.
“We show up, and we deliver 21 meals a week at no cost to our clients, and we make sure that it's the right nutrition,” Dougherty said. “So if you have kidney disease, like you can't have, you know, potassium, we make sure that we're providing the right nutrition to help you win the fight for your life.”
U.S. Representative Dwight Evans has been involved with Manna for 35 years and before deliveries began on Thursday, he thanked the many volunteers and pledged further support.
“I will make my own personal donation for $10,000,” Evans said.
To volunteer, or to donate, go to mannapa.org.