The Manna Community Kitchen will celebrate 40 years of serving meals to the community on Oct. 14 at the Smith College Conference Center with its event “Mannaversary: Honoring Our Past, Feeding the Future.”
In 1986, the “Manna Project” began as a weekly gathering for free community meals at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Elm Street. Now, the community kitchen serves community meals five days a week, delivers meals to neighbors and serves thousands of meals annually with the help of more than 400 volunteers.
The 40th anniversary celebration will feature a menu curated by five-time James Beard semifinalist chef Unmi Abkin, featuring dishes from local restaurants Masa Mexicano, Paul and Elizabeth’s, Daily Operation and Augustine’s Pizza Club.
Starting as a church project, Manna Community Kitchen has transformed into an independent nonprofit that offers showers, laundry, a warming shelter and other resources to the community. In 2025, Manna served more than 70,000 meals.
“Forty years ago, Manna started with a meal. What grew from that meal was a whole community of people committed to taking care of their neighbors. Food and love, that’s what Manna has always been about, and that’s what will be at the heart of our celebration on Oct. 14,” Manna Community Kitchen Executive Director Niki Lankowski said in a written statement. “We’re celebrating the people who have made Manna what it is, while looking ahead to the next 40 years and making sure Manna continues to be a place where everyone is welcomed, fed and cared for.”
New Central Service director
Angie Gregory took over as Northampton’s newest Central Services director on Monday following the resignation of her predecessor Katie Deppen in July.
Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra announced Gregory’s appointment to the Central Services Department — responsible for managing and overseeing grounds, maintenance, heating/cooling, plumbing, electrical, security, fire detection/protection, custodial, renovations and construction operations for city and school buildings — on Sept. 11, preceding a positive vote from City Council.
The department also is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the parking system.
“I am very pleased to appoint Angie to this essential role in city operations,” Sciarra wrote in a statement. “She brings a rare combination of management experience, technical knowledge, entrepreneurship, and a deep commitment to Northampton. Angie has spent her career bringing people together to manage complex projects and turn ambitious ideas into practical results. I’m confident that experience will serve the city well.”
Gregory most recently served as Mount Holyoke College’s sustainability program manager, where she played a leadership role in major sustainability and infrastructure projects, including the college’s campus-wide geothermal project.
Prior to her role at Mount Holyoke, Gregory worked at UMass Amherst, and as the founder and owner of Simple Diaper & Linen. She previously worked with city departments on the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan and recently completed a two-year term on the Northampton Energy and Sustainability Commission.
The new director’s work at Mount Holyoke, the mayor’s office wrote, requires “close coordination across facilities,” grounds, environmental health and safety, and other campus departments. The mayor noted that Gregory’s experience closely parallels the “cross-departmental responsibilities” of Northampton’s Central Services Department.
“I’m excited to bring the full range of my experience to this role, from managing complex projects and budgets to working across departments to solve problems and get things done,” Gregory said. “I’ve spent nearly 20 years in Northampton, raised my family here, started a business here and worked alongside city staff and community members on projects I care deeply about. I know how much work goes into taking care of the buildings, grounds and infrastructure our community relies on every day and I’m honored to have the opportunity to lead that work.”
David Ruggles Center improvements
The David Ruggles Center for History and Education has been awarded an $87,500 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council to design, build and install new exhibits at its museum in Florence.
The dollar-for-dollar matched funding, which was distributed through the cultural council’s Cultural Facilities Fund Capital grant program, aims to support the design, building and installation of new exhibits at the Nonotuck Street museum.
The Ruggles Center has been working with Michael Hanke, of Design Division, Inc. to plan and design the museum’s transformation — a process supported by COVID-era American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Though work on the museum renovation is expected to begin in early 2027, the center cannot begin work until it provides a dollar-for-dollar match. The center will present its plans to the public at an open house Oct. 22 from 4 to 7 p.m. The event will feature performances from the Ujima Singers followed by refreshments and remarks.