Project MANA - A Hunger Relief Agency

During the past week the word about the collections for food for Project MANA’s Thanksgiving program started circulating around Incline Village/Crystal Bay. And like with most projects, the community started responding. From the JROTC at Incline High School to the Rotary Club of Incline Village, food started arriving at Project MANA.

Saturday, Project MANA will conduct its annual Thanksgiving distribution to families recommended by agencies, schools or churches. This distribution is Project MANA’s main holiday project.

“We give the turkeys out on Saturday to allow the people time to let them thaw out and be ready to cook on Thursday,” said George LeBard, executive director of Project MANA. “Our need is probably going to be close to 600 families this year.”

Last year the total distribution for Project MANA’s Thanksgiving program was 431 families, so the need for turkeys is much greater this year due to the increase in families, he said. But the community is helping.

The JROTC helps

“Walk the line with your crate,” said Lt. Col. Mike Iratcabal.

No, this is not a punishment for one of his JROTC cadets for misbehaving. Instead, this is an instruction to the cadets in the storeroom at Project MANA sorting out crates of food. 

The JROTC cadets, Lindsey Goldenberg, Carlos Santiago and Ryan Calhoun, are all with the Highlander JROTC and have volunteered this week to help organize the food that Project MANA has received. The cadets have sorted food, put together bags for regular Project MANA homebound clients and have even helped put together emergency distributions for families with immediate needs.

This is a service learning project for the cadets and four different groups will actually be working on the project all week. Iratcabal said all cadets working have been given permission by their parents and their teachers sign off on their classes to allow them to help. This is part of the service projects required of the cadets — in turn they can earn hours toward community service awards. The cadet with the most community service hours receives top honors at the end of the year. 

But sorting the food is not the only way the JROTC is helping Project MANA. They have been collecting food, too, since Oct. 28 and will continue to do so until Dec. 9.

Community food collections

Food has also been collected by the Boy Scout Troop 37 and Chase International Real Estate through the Scouting for Food drive that brought in 1,656 pounds of food.

But the food needs to continue to arrive at Project MANA in order to meet that Saturday distribution deadline for Thanksgiving as well as the needs for the regular distributions after Thanksgiving. LeBard said that even though food is coming in from the food drives, it seems to be lighter than normal this year.

Last week at the Monday noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Incline Village at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Non-Profit Center, LeBard told Rotarians about his need for turkeys for the Thanksgiving Project. 

At Monday’s noon meeting this week the members of the club arrived for their regular meeting — this time with frozen turkeys in tow. Many had used their club cards at Safeway in Kings Beach to purchase two turkeys. Others brought more than just the turkey.

“I bought the turkey along with the trimmings, the soup, cranberries, potatoes and stuffing,” said Barb Smith, a Rotarian. “Instead of making Thanksgiving this year, I donated mine.” Her box was a complete holiday meal.

What is needed before

Even as the turkeys continue to arrive the need is still great, LeBard said. He has about 300 turkeys on order through local stores and will need to pay for them all. Plus he needs to have everything for the traditional Thanksgiving meal to accompany each turkey. 

Anyone wanting to help Project MANA feed families for Thanksgiving can donate food or the $25 that is needed to feed one family with a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Donations can be made in cash, check or food and can be dropped off at various locations on the North Shore.