Roanoke Rescue Mission prepares boxes for Manna Food Pantry ahead of Drumstick DASH

ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — The Rescue Mission of Roanoke wants to help struggling families put food on the table through the Manna Food Pantry, a drive-thru food pantry that distributes grocery boxes on a weekly basis.

WFXR News checked in with the Roanoke Rescue Mission on Tuesday, Nov. 9 as volunteers packed boxes for the Manna Food Pantry.

Each box contains about 60 pounds of food — including non-perishable food staples, fresh produce, and frozen meats — that families can pick up every Saturday morning. Dog and cat food is also available for those with pets.

Anyone interested in the program can visit the rescue mission on Saturdays between 8 and 10 a.m. and a volunteer will come to your vehicle to help with the enrollment process.

The community outreach coordinator for the Rescue Mission of Roanoke, Kevin Berry, says it’s a great way to ensure families get healthy meals.

“If a family has to buy food and skip a bill, well when they skip that bill, that means that car may be repossessed, or they may be evicted from that home, and that is how people end up here at the mission, so what Manna does is provide the opportunity for that snowball effect to never begin,” said Berry.

Volunteers are needed during the week to pack and organize food donations, as well as on Saturday mornings to help with the grocery box distribution and serve breakfast. If you would like to volunteer, follow this link to sign up.

According to Berry, the Manna program is made possible year-round because of contributions from the Atlantic Union Bank Drumstick DASH.

WFXR News is a proud sponsor of this year’s Drumstick DASH. Follow these links to find more information about signing up for the dash or making a donation to the Roanoke Rescue Mission.