Asheville Yoga Center Asks Community to Help Support MANNA

Donations accepted at the Studio and Boutique 

Asheville Yoga Center dedicates the month of November to raising food items and funds for MANNA FoodBank. Since 1983, MANNA FoodBank has been serving Western North Carolina by collecting, storing and distributing food through community-based food assistance agencies. During the 2017-2018 fiscal year, MANNA FoodBank distributed 18.2 million pounds of food throughout 16 counties in WNC.

With November being a month focused on gratitude and thankfulness, the partnership with MANNA FoodBank truly hits home for members and staff at Asheville Yoga Center. The yoga community at AYC fosters values that emulate the importance of giving and showing compassion for those in need, and these values are homogenous to those of MANNA FoodBank.

“MANNA FoodBank is a leader in the Asheville community by educating and uniting people to work towards ending hunger. By supporting MANNA FoodBank, we are able to shed light and combat the hunger issues in our outlying communities. We are proud to partner with MANNA FoodBank to collect food items for those in our area. We are very appreciative of the work they have done and continue to do,” says Melissa Pennscott Driver, Director of Operations at Asheville Yoga Center.

Food bins will be available for food item donations in AYC’s Studio and Boutique beginning on the first day of November until the end of the month. On Thursday, November 29, 10% of all drop-in and community class sales will be donated to MANNA FoodBank. In addition, AYC will make a direct donation of $250. Staff and members are participating in a volunteer day on November 13 to package and sort food at MANNA FoodBank.

“MANNA serves over 100,000 people across 16 counties of Western North Carolina every year who are facing hunger. Our largest source of support are individuals who resonate with our mission to feed anyone who needs food, and in our region, that is 1 in 6 people, including 1 in 4 children, who don’t know where they will get their next meal. Every single dollar of support makes a real and tangible difference in the lives of the people we serve, and we stretch every dollar as far as possible. Thanks to the support of our volunteers and food donors, we can help provide enough food for 3.5 meals for every dollar donated,” says Hannah Randall, CEO of MANNA FoodBank.

We ask our members and community to join us in supporting our efforts to raise food items and funds throughout the month. If you would like to volunteer with us, please email marketing@youryoga.com. There is limited space available.

For more information about acceptable food items to donate, go to https://www.mannafoodbank.org/how-you-can-help/donate/donate-food/