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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Food Redistribution Nonprofit, Celestial Manna, Can Now Rescue More Food to Feed the Community Thanks to Whole Foods Market

Celestial Manna will receive a new refrigerated van from Whole Foods Market to help transport perishable and nonperishable food to neighbors and communities in need.

Derwood, MD (Oct. 9, 2020) – Whole Foods Market announced Celestial Manna. Inc. as one of 19 community-based food rescue organizations selected from across the United States and Canada to partner in their Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program.

The program was created to expand the capacity and capability of food redistribution organizations to move food from where it’s available to where it’s needed most. Each organization will receive a new refrigerated van, which upon delivery will be filled with generous donations of perishable and nonperishable goods from Whole Foods and a few of their suppliers. The vans will provide each recipient organization with 20,000 pounds of rescued food per week donated from Whole Foods Market and surrounding grocers and retailers, which equates to 182 million meals provided over the anticipated 10-year lifetime use of each van.

“Celestial Manna will use this great resource to continue our food distribution among military veterans, battered women shelters, homeless shelters,  senior centers and needy families throughout Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland,” said Celestial Manna’s founder and Executive Director, Charlie Mann. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Whole Foods in their ongoing efforts to reduce food waste and feed the hungry. This refrigerated van is a great asset that we have needed for a long time.”

Whole Foods shared that according to ReFED’s COVID-19 U.S. Food System Review, while food systems are global by nature, they manifest locally, especially in the last mile of distribution to consumers. Hyper-local support is needed to ensure distribution to end-users, in many cases through community-based organizations like the recipients of Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing our Neighborhoods program.

The Van Donation Celebration Event will be held at Whole Foods Kentlands, 316 Kentlands Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878 on October 7, 2020, at 10 am.

About Celestial Manna

For 34 years, Celestial Manna has helped fight food insecurity by providing access to free food that is locally donated. Monthly support extends to more than 20,000 people within the Washington, DC metropolitan region.  Quality food, that would otherwise be discarded, is recovered from grocery stores, restaurants and local farms. Over 300 dedicated volunteers pick up and re-distribute food donations to families, communities, and partners in need. To learn more about Celestial Manna, please visit https://www.celestialmanna.org/.

About Whole Foods Market

For 40 years, Whole Foods Market has been the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer. As the first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market has more than 500 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. To learn more about Whole Foods Market, please visit https://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/.

Contact

Deb Hopkins, Communications/Program Manager

Deb@celestialmanna.org