NORTHAMPTON — Dozens filed into the Manna Community Kitchen on Elm Street Tuesday morning for a free plate of spaghetti and meatballs — the same meal served when Manna first opened its doors 40 years ago.
The “Manna Project” began as a weekly gathering for free community meals at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Elm Street in 1986. Now operating independently from the church, the community kitchen serves community meals five days a week — thousands annually —and delivers meals to neighbors with the help of more than 400 volunteers.
“It started off as just a meal one evening a week down in the basement of the church and now we serve five days a week. The first few meals they were serving about a dozen people,” said Manna Executive Director Niki Lankowski. ” Now we’re serving about 100 people a day.”
Tuesday’s meal service will follow a “Mannaversary” event at the Smith College Conference Center slated for Oct. 14, featuring 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.
The anniversary event aims to raise $150,000 for the kitchen, though Lankowski said $125,000 has already been raised through community partners.
Rising costs of food and increasing community need over the last few years have brought about an increased need for community support, Development and Communications Director Kaitlyn Ferrari said.
“We’ve definitely seen an increase in people, not to mention the cost of food has gone up a lot — it’s almost double what it was two years ago,” Ferrari said. “SNAP benefits were cut last year, so the need has grown and so has the cost of food. Those are challenges, but we still keep doing what we’re doing, and you know we really rely on the community to fund us.”
Ferrari began volunteering at Manna during the height of the pandemic, when she said many of the volunteers were at high risk for contracting COVID-19, leaving the community kitchen short-staffed and in high demand. She said she took pride in the fact that the nonprofit was not closed for a day.
Celebrating the little moments for those Manna serves — when a regular finds a job, or celebrations of someone’s birthday — brings a special meaning to her work, Ferrari said.
“This is something that really means a lot to me, combating food insecurity and making sure that people know that we’re here and available,” Ferrari said. “We really are a low-barrier organization. We don’t ask a lot of questions; we want to make our food and our other services as accessible as possible. That’s something that I find really special.”
As regulars formed a line to receive their meals, and a slice of a large cake was served to celebrate the kitchen’s anniversary, many voiced their appreciation for the nonprofit as not only a source for their meals, but also as a place they go to find community.
Regular Kevin Decoteau said he initially began going to Manna two years ago after he retired for the free meals, but has since appreciated the sense of community he gets from eating with friends.
“Right after I retired, I realized looking around my house that I wasn’t going to have enough food to really feed myself for seven days a week,” Decoteau said. “Coming out and being social is important once you retire, being around more people and talking… the people are so welcoming, and it’s so warm. It’s almost like our ‘Cheers,’ where people know your name.”
Staff member Teo Cespedes-Ashe said his previous struggles with food insecurity inspired his service at Manna, which he noted was to serve the community he was once a part of.
“I had my own issues and struggles at one point. When I was given the opportunity to be a part of something that really wasn’t as available when I had my issues, [it] was a big thing,” he said. “It’s like a home for people that don’t have a home — people feel safe here and feel unjudged. They can come in and get their basic human needs … starting with a hot meal, and we provide them with showers; they can do laundry and all the things that everyone needs.”
Lankowski described her work at Manna as being a series of days filled with a “million little moments” that make it special.
“Here at Manna, we’re not solving everyone’s problems in one day, but it’s just these little things that we can do for people to make their day better,” she said. “It’s giving someone some Q-tips that they asked if we have, or other things that people might need throughout the day. Then you learn more about them… so many unique personalities come through here, and it’s a very vibrant place. For me, it’s just a million little moments.”
