May 2016 Letter
Renee easily recalls the desperation she felt when she first walked in to Master’s Manna.
In March 2008, Renee lost her job with Verizon, just as the recession was about to hit in full force. She had a newborn son to care for, and she needed help. She had driven by Master’s Manna storefront location many times, and always saw a line out the door. She summoned the courage to ask for help with diapers for her son.
“I came in with my head on the ground. I didn’t want to talk to anyone,” she recalls.
Eight years later, Renee smiles and says, “This place was my lifeline. Everyone here is my family.”
Renee’s story of transformation is one that is common at Master’s Manna—and it is one that you help make possible with your generous contribution.
I met Renee that first day she walked in to Master’s Manna. With encouragement and some gentle nudging, I convinced Renee that Master’s Manna was here to help her. I knew that Master’s Manna could provide her some relief from the stress that was plaguing her body and spirit.
Unfortunately, Renee’s troubles weren’t over yet. She and her husband struggled to pay their rent on their limited income and with an infant to support, and they were served with eviction papers.
Throughout their struggle, thanks to the faithful support of donors like you, Master’s Manna was there to help them—with diapers, food, and emotional support. Whenever Renee was in need of tangible items, she knew that at Master’s Manna, “The door was always open.”
Thankfully, Renee’s husband was soon able to get a better job, and they were able to stay in their apartment. Several months after she first walked through its doors, Renee began to volunteer at Master’s Manna, to help lift her own spirits as well as help others. Ever since, she has been a source of support for others who struggle the way she once did.
As one volunteer coordinator of the food pantry, she is able to tangibly meet their need, as well as encourage them. “If I can make it out of the fire,” she tells them, “You can make it out of the fire.”
To continue to provide this lifeline for our neighbors, Master’s Manna needs your financial support.
Master’s Manna is full of people like Renee—people who are in the midst of a crisis, or who need a little extra help to get by each month. People who have found a place they feel welcome and at home.
Your investment into Master’s Manna has a profound and immediate impact on our neighbors’ lives. With your tax-deductible gift, someone in need can find healthy food, clothing, medical care, job training, or companionship.
Because of donors like you, Renee didn’t have to choose between feeding her family, or staying in her home.
Please join us today in helping more families like Renee’s.
With sincere thanks,
Cheryl Trzcinski
Co-Founder and CEO