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Business & Tech

Manna, Giant Team Up for County-Wide Food Drive

The local food bank, Manna Food Center, and grocery store chain, Giant Foods, is holding a charity food drive throughout MLK Weekend.

On a weekend in which Americans all over the country celebrate the life of civil rights leader and community activist, Martin Luther King, Jr., local food bank Manna Food Center and grocery store chain Giant Foods joined forces Saturday and will again on Sunday as part of the nation-wide effort now known as the MLK National Day of Service. 

Manna is sponsoring and holding food drives to fight hunger and feed those in need at more than 25 area Giant Food stores all weekend long, including the Germantown location in the Neelsville Village Center on Frederick Road. 

"What we're doing here today is raising awareness and trying collect as many donations as possible for those in need. And it's pretty successful so far," said Betsy McLoughlin, a local realtor who started volunteering at Manna Food Center last November. 

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McLoughlin got involved with Manna last fall after one of the center's food trucks was robbed two days before Thanksgiving.  "After hearing about all the people they help and what they do for the county, I wanted to get involved in any way possible," McLoughlin said as she passed out pamphlets and flyers to shoppers. "It's just a wonderful organization and operation that they run."

Jason Hageman was donning his Baltimore Ravens T-Shirt while a fellow volunteer sported her Pittsburgh Steelers gear in honor of the two teams' playoff game Saturday. Like McLoughlin, Hageman said he felt compelled to help out in any manner possible.

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"You don't realize in your own backyard how many people, especially children, go hungry. And when you hear about that, you truly want to help them," Hageman said. "Our goal today is to fill as many carts as possible and raise awareness."

The volunteers were inside the Giant store and greeted shoppers as they entered the store, handing out brochures that listed the types of food items the center is in need of most this time of year. Items included, canned fruits and vegetables, soup, and cereal. By end of day Saturday, hundreds of items had been donated.

Sharon Cole, a Germantown resident who donated several cans of vegetables, said that giving back to the community, particularly this weekend in honor of King, was important.

"It doesn't take much," she said. "Just a couple of items from your basket to contribute and that goes a long way. It's important to contribute to those who are less fortunate than you are."

Another county resident added: "It's awesome to see. And if you factor in that they are at every Giant in the county, think about how many people we are helping."

Manna volunteers will be back at the Germantown Giant on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In 2010, Manna Food Center helped to provide food for more than 150,000 people across the county and feed more than 1,400 kids each weekend as part of their satchel program. 

According to the MLK Day of Service website, the event was started by former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and Atlanta Congressman John Lewis. It was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on Aug. 23, 1994.

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