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Woodforest Charitable Foundation Donates $10,000 to MANNA FoodBank

MANNA Foodbank Receives $10,000 Donation

Photo Caption:Woodforest National Bank branch managers from across the state joined Steve Fisher, western North Carolina Regional Manager and John Fritchie, Director of Resource Development for MANNA FoodBank.

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (December, 2009) – Woodforest Charitable Foundation recently contributed $10,000 to MANNA FoodBank.

Founded in 1982, MANNA FoodBank is a private, non-profit service organization that links the food industry with 315 partner agencies in 16 counties of western North Carolina.  Manna FoodBank collects, stores, warehouses and distributes food to accredited non-profit organizations.

Last year, MANNA delivered more than 6,500,000 pounds of food to their partner agencies, who in turn provided emergency food assistance to 115,000 women, children and men who had nowhere else to turn.  For every $1, MANNA can provide enough food to a partner agency for 3 meals.  For $1,000, MANNA can deliver 3,600 pounds of nutritious food and fresh produce, which is enough for 3,000 meals.  In addition to Community Food Distribution, MANNA also manages two key programs: Food Stamp Outreach and MANNA Packs for kids.

MANNA FoodBank is expanding food stamp outreach through partner agencies to make sure that those people you care about — friends, neighbors, and family — are being given every opportunity to be food secure.  Food stamps help put nutritious food into homes when people are not able to do that completely on their own.  There is no dignity in hunger.  However, by providing a secure, regular food source, food stamps help people live with dignity even when circumstances are difficult.

The MANNA Packs Program reaches out to at-risk elementary school children in western North Carolina.  MANNA works closely with school counselors and administrators who become the eyes and ears to recognize when students and their family members may be in need of healthy food over the weekend.  To help these families, MANNA provides children a large bag (5 pounds) of supplemental food items, fresh fruits and vegetables and/or personal care items each Friday that schools are in session.

For more information about MANNA FoodBank, please call (828) 299-3663 or visit the FoodBank’s website at www.MANNAfoodbank.org.

The Woodforest Charitable Foundation was created by Woodforest National Bank in 2005 as a direct result of its desire to support and invest in the communities in which it serves.  The Foundation is creating a legacy of commitment to those in need, enriching lives and communities through dedicated leadership and faithful administration by providing funding to qualifying 501(c)(3) charities. For additional information regarding The Woodforest Charitable Foundation, call (832) 375-CARE (2273) or visit the foundation’s website at www.woodforestcharitablefoundation.org.

Celebrating 30 years of service and ranked among the top earning banks in the United States, the Woodforest family of banks currently has assets of approximately $3.2 billion and services more than 770,000 customers with branches in excess of 700 throughout fifteen states: Texas, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. For information about Woodforest National Bank, please call 832-375-2000 or visit the bank’s website at www.woodforest.com.