Lansdale nonprofit calls on community for help as food insecurity surges amid federal benefit disruption
Manna on Main Street is seeing one of its busiest weeks on record as the community nonprofit works to meet surging demand for food and meals following a lapse in SNAP benefits.
According to Manna on its Facebook page Friday afternoon, hundreds of local residents are now being forced to make “impossible choices” between paying rent, buying groceries, or filling prescriptions.
“Without SNAP, hundreds of people we serve at Manna are deciding between buying food, paying the rent, or getting that next prescription,” the organization said in a recent update. “These are real, impossible choices.”
In the past week alone, Manna reported four times more first-time shoppers in its Market than usual, alongside a continuing rise in meal and grocery requests.
Even before the SNAP disruption, the nonprofit had already been serving three times as many meals and twice as many grocery visits compared to spring 2022.
Despite the strain, Manna credited the outpouring of community support — from food drives and donations to Amazon deliveries from its #ShopForManna list — for helping sustain operations during this critical period. “It’s inspiring and humbling to see this community rally for Manna and our neighbors,” the post read.
Still, the organization acknowledged that the current level of need “isn’t sustainable operationally” over the long term. Manna may eventually be forced to adjust the amount of food provided per visit, a reality facing many food pantries nationwide.
"Finally, we need to be honest: While Manna continues to serve everyone who needs food, the level of demand for food we’re seeing simply isn’t sustainable for us operationally over the long term," said the post.
Sheldon C. Good, Manna’s Director of Development and Strategic Direction, described the situation as a "perfect storm," noting that “staff and volunteers at Manna are the first responders, with 63,000 of our neighbors being forced to make impossible choices amid an emergency from which they can’t evacuate.”
Manna reminded residents that for every one meal a food charity provides, SNAP provides nine, underscoring how vital federal nutrition programs remain in addressing hunger.
Those in need of assistance can find up-to-date information at mannaonmain.org/current-program-information.
Found out how to give food to Manna here.
Volunteer your time to Manna here.
