Manna’s new executive director on a mission to feed the hungry





EMPTY SHELVES—Jennifer Schwabauer, new executive director of Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank, explains why more food donations are needed during the holiday season.

EMPTY SHELVES—Jennifer Schwabauer, new executive director of Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank, explains why more food donations are needed during the holiday season.

In October, not three months into her role as executive director of Manna, Jennifer Schwabauer witnessed a frantic father come through the door.

“He said, ‘I have three kids at home, I just got off work, my (hours) got cut back and I don’t have any food in the house,’” she recalled.

“I thought he was going to burst into tears.”

Within minutes, volunteers filled the man’s car with various food items—ranging from peanut butter to soup—and sent him on his way, making him the latest in a long line of residents to receive much-needed assistance from the Conejo Valley’s oldest food bank.

“Fortunately, we were able to help him,” Schwabauer said.

Headquartered in a converted 700-square-foot, two-bedroom home on Crescent Way in Thousand Oaks, the nonprofit organization feeds more than 1,400 people a month and an estimated 17,000 people a year, a statistic that includes those served during holiday programs.

But this past Monday, the shelves at Manna looked sparse— some, in fact, were empty.

“From what my staff is telling me, this is pretty low for this time of year,” said Schwabauer, standing amidst the picked-over shelves. “Last week, I was racking my mind for a Plan B.”

Aaron Podell, president of Manna’s board of directors, said food and monetary donations are greatly needed.

“Because we’re in an affluent area, people sometimes don’t realize that there’s a huge need for support,” he said. “But when you have 500 to 600 families signing up for Thanksgiving dinner, it really brings it back home.”

With the holiday right around the corner, the nonprofit is kicking its efforts into high gear. On Nov. 19, 20 and 21, the three days prior to Thanksgiving, Manna will hand out the fixings for a traditional American feast. The food bank has been doing just that for about a decade.

The number of families served depends on how many donations are received over the next week. The organizationPAW_ TreeLighting_is seekingAcorn.boxedpdf potatoes, canned yams, canned green beans, French fried onions, cranberry11/13/12sauce,8:50 cannedAM pumpkin, canned corn, chicken broth and packaged gravy and other food items.

“For a lot of the families, there wouldn’t be a Thanksgiving feast if they didn’t get help,” said Corleen Parmelee, a longtime volunteer for the organization.

The Thousand Oaks resident, who will be assisting with the Thanksgiving festivities, said she hopes the community will continue to support Manna yearround.

“We need Thanksgiving food and we need regular food,” she said. “People are grateful to get a helping hand when they’re in a rough spot.

“The recession has hit everyone hard,” she added. “The only wa y we’re going to get through it is to help each other out.”

That’s what Manna is all about.

Founded in 1971, the organization accepts a variety of food and toiletry items such as canned goods, peanut butter, pasta sauce, cereal, toilet paper, soap, macaroni and cheese, chicken broth, pasta, rice and produce.

Due to safety regulations, the organization does not take open containers, partially used food items, homemade baked goods or alcoholic beverages of any kind.

A volunteer for Manna in the ’70s and again in the ’90s, Schwabauer replaced the retiring Mike Mathews in Sept. She said she wants to eliminate the stigma attached to patronizing a food pantry.

“ Everybody falls on hard times,” she said. “I really want to make this a place that is cheery and uplifting so people feel like they’ve got a place where there are friends and people that care about them.”

And with families going to sleep with empty stomachs, Manna needs the community’s support.

“ It’s heart- wrenching,” Schwabauer said. “There isn’t a week that goes by when there isn’t some person that comes running in, saying, ‘Help me. I’ve got kids at home and I don’t have any food.’”

Donations are made yearround by individuals, service organizations, clubs, small businesses and corporations.

Although donations are accepted at any time, designated drop-off times are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

For more information, call ( 805) 497- 4959 or go to the recently updated website www.mannaconejo.org.


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