MANNA FoodBank and UnitedHealthcare to bring fresh food to disadvantaged McDowell County residents

Press release from UnitedHealthcare:

MANNA Express program brings “just-in-time” delivery of perishable foods
$25,000 UnitedHealthcare grant helps increase access to nutritious foods
North Carolina faces higher prevalence of food insecurity than national average

WHAT: Food-insecure residents of McDowell County will receive a “just-in-time” delivery of fresh, perishable foods like produce, dairy, meats and breads at the Clinchfield United Methodist Church food pantry in Marion, N.C., through MANNA FoodBank’s MANNA Express program.

UnitedHealthcare donated $25,000 to expand the MANNA Express program that helps up to 300 people per week by distributing 6,000 pounds of nutritious food and encouraging healthier food choices for people facing food insecurity.

WHO: McDowell County residents
Mary Nesbitt, MANNA FoodBank chief development officer
Corinna Miller, UnitedHealthcare community relations manager
Clinchfield United Methodist Church food pantry & MANNA Express volunteers

WHEN: Thursday, May 18, 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: Clinchfield United Methodist Church
151 Ridge Road, Marion, N.C.

WHY: Food insecurity is a reality for many North Carolinians. According to America’s Health Rankings® 2017 Senior Report, more than 18 percent of North Carolinians ages 60 and older faced the threat of hunger in the last 12 months. The state faces a higher prevalence of food insecurity than the national average, with several cities ranking among the highest in the country, including Greensboro, High Point, Asheville and Winston-Salem. There are 349 food deserts in 80 counties statewide.

The $25,000 grant awarded to MANNA FoodBank in August 2016 is part of UnitedHealthcare’s ongoing effort to identify and support organizations in North Carolina that help seniors, individuals with disabilities and disadvantaged people live healthier lives. MANNA Express has distributed almost 260,000 pounds of food through the just-in-time distribution system since the grant was awarded last year.

About MANNA FoodBank

MANNA FoodBank is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving Western North Carolina since 1983 and an accredited member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization. MANNA is located in Asheville, North Carolina on Swannanoa River Road. In 2015 MANNA distributed 15.7 million pounds of food through some 229 community-based food assistance agencies in 16 Western North Carolina counties. Learn more at mannafoodbank.org.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with
care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.

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About Thomas Calder
Thomas Calder received his MFA in Fiction from the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program. His writing has appeared in Gulf Coast, the Miracle Monocle, Juked and elsewhere. His debut novel, The Wind Under the Door, is now available.

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