Nutrition Organization 'Manna' Celebrates Delivery of Its 10,000,000th Meal
By Michelle Durham
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The nonprofit organization "Manna" was celebrating an historic milestone today. The organization founded in 1990 to deliver nutritious meals to the area's HIV and AIDS population was serving its 10 millionth meal.
Manna executive director Sue Daugherty says it's a proud moment for all who work to provide these nutritious meals to their many clients, which now include those with other significant illnesses.
"It's not only just a celebration of the ten million meals," she told KYW Newsradio today, "it's really the over 17,000 lives we've impacted."
Daugherty says studies show that people heal faster and feel better when they get proper nutrition.
"The city can do a lot of things, but we can't do everything," said Mayor Nutter, who was on hand for the occasion. "So having organizations like Manna, where hundreds of people volunteer, makes such a big, big difference. I'm very, very proud of them but I'm also very, very grateful."
Nutter sat with Manna clients and staffers to share a typical meal created by Manna's executive chef, Keith Lucas, who has been with Manna fourteen years.
How many of those ten million meals did he help prepare?
"About 8.5 million of them," he says after a pause. "It feels awesome to be part of a cause like that."
