Tourism & Convention Board staff took over Manna on Main Street's kitchen
In honor of the 3rd Annual Valley Forge Freedom from Hunger Food Drive, the staff of the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board (VFTCB) and Montgomery County Commissioners worked alongside Manna on Main Street employees and students from the Culinary Arts Institute at Montgomery County Community College to prepare Tuesday evening’s meal for Manna’s guests.
VFTCB President & CEO Mike Bowman served as head chef for the meal. With more than 30 years of hospitality experience, Bowman started his hospitality career as an executive chef and was a hotel regional corporate executive chef for nine years.
The VFTCB’s day of giving back coincided with the 3rd Annual Valley Forge Freedom from Hunger Food Drive, from September 16-30, 2017. The VFTCB created the Valley Forge Freedom from Hunger Food Drive in 2015 when Pope Francis stayed in Montgomery County at the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary during the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. The VFTCB established the food drive as the county’s farewell “gift” to the Pontiff. Now in its third year, the drive continues to support the community through food and monetary donations.
This year, the VFTCB has established a goal to collect 2.25 tons of donated food from throughout Montgomery County. HealthSpark Foundation and the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network were pleased to once again partner with the VFTCB on the food drive. The MontCo Anti-Hunger Network is a coalition of hunger relief organizations working together to make healthy foods available to all communities in Montgomery County. Both will benefit from the donation drive.
For this event, the VFTCB partnered with Manna on Main Street, one of the organizations served by the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network. Manna on Main Street is a unique combination soup kitchen and food pantry that also provides financial aid, counseling and referrals, educational opportunities, and a free food service training to employment program for economically disadvantaged members of the community. Manna on Main Street is part of the North Penn Commons, a partnership between four nonprofit organizations – Advanced Living Communities, the PEAK Center, the North Penn YMCA, and Manna on Main Street – which provide programs, services, and facilities that foster intergenerational connections and promote health and wellness in the North Penn community.