Manna Market Makes Weekly Fridley Stop on Tuesdays

The at every Tuesday evening is just part of a moveable feast or food shelf on wheels that makes stops at Anoka County locations according to a daily schedule.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press visited several Manna Market sites, including Fridley's:

It takes 25 to 40 volunteers to run each Manna Market. Operating with a budget of about $10,000, the churches can feed 100 to 200 households per location each week, Forrest said. Collectively in 2011, they passed out about 3 million pounds of food, he estimated.

Second Harvest's records show it distributing about 500,000 pounds of food to Manna Market in 2010 and more than a million to five Manna Market locations last year. "[They] do a great job of collecting and delivering large quantities of fresh food quickly," said Lindsi Gish, associate director of communications for Second Harvest.

Cynthia Brown was one of more than 100 people lined up inside Fridley Covenant Church on a recent Tuesday. Brown, 45, of Coon Rapids is collecting unemployment benefits after losing her job as a personal-care assistant. After eating a couple of chili dogs - most Manna Markets provide a meal, too - she walked through the line and filled her box with fresh food for the week.

"It's always excellent and nutritious," she said of the food. "It's keeping my family fed."

Here is more about Manna Market from the Fridley Patch event listings:

Manna Market is a free meal and food distribution event that takes place at Fridley Covenant Church every Tuesday.  The doors open at 5 pm and guests register, then are welcomed in for a light dinner.

During registration ticket stubs are issued, and at 6 pm tickets are drawn in random order.  When a guest’s ticket is drawn, he/she is then invited to pick out free groceries which a volunteer carries through the line for them.

5–6 p.m. Free hot meal – food and fellowship
6–7 p.m.: Free food distribution – fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, breads

Available foods items typically include vegetables, fruits, breads, meats and some desserts. There are plenty of opportunities to share in this ministry, whether by attending as a guest or helping those guests by volunteering.

Volunteers need not attend Fridley Covenant Church to help with Manna Market. Please call the church for details, or just show up at 5 p.m. with willing hearts and hands.