The Manna Center is on track to serve 13,000 clients this year, executive director Mark Brooker said.
Those who come to the center at 670 Heritage Court receive one week of food for the family. That's 270,000 meals annually, Brooker said.
"We have great donors in Siloam Springs," he said. Simmons Foods gives 15,000 pounds of meat annually. "Simmons is a huge asset for us," Brooker said.
More than 20 churches support the center. "United Way of Northwest Arkansas supports us," he said.
Four family foundations give to the center.
Brooker said he's been director for the past 1 1/2 years and was on the board for the center a year before that. He previously worked at DaySpring Cards for 18 years.
Brooker said he works to promote the center by speaking at churches and to civic groups.
"Our funding, so far, has kept pace with the growth," he said. "We're up 36 percent on clients." In 2013, the number of clients increased 26 percent.
The center covers a 15-mile radius.
About a third of the clients are elderly or disabled and another third are working poor. The rest are in a period of transition, such as someone who was laid off from a job.
Brooker said the Manna Center is a faith-based organization.
Staff meet with clients and give referrals.
"We've never turned anyone down," he said.
Recently, the center received money from the state surplus, or General Improvement Fund. The center is working with agencies in town to use the money.
For example, someone would be given a week of food for the family if that person receives training at Arkansas Workforce Center or attends Dogwood Literacy Council.
"We're trying to use food as a carrot to get them to better themselves," Brooker said.
He said the center also gives away clothes.
"We wash and iron everything," he said. Stuff that's a little too worn is donated to a thrift store in Watts, Okla.
The thrift store is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
About 20 percent of the center's funding comes from the thrift store.
"It feeds people," Brooker said of money from the thrift store.
The center employs one full-time and five part-time employees. It has 75 volunteers who work each month.
Paul and Leila McVay have been volunteers at the Manna Center since it was started more than 20 years ago. The McVays recalled it started in a former bicycle shop downtown before it moved to where the Cafe on Broadway is and then to Kenwood Street. It opened in its current location in 2009.
"When you retire you want to do something that means something," Leila said, when asked about volunteering there. "The staff is wonderful."
Paul said they are at the center every Wednesday.
"It's a good outing for us," Paul said.
Food is distributed to clients weekdays from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Judy Martin, thrift store manager, has worked there for 10 years. She started as a volunteer and has been manager for five years. She worked 26 years at JC Penney in Siloam Springs until she retired.
"I love my job," Martin said.
Some items that are donated to the center still have the tags on them when the center receives them. For example, a blouse from Dillard's was donated with the tag still on it. The center also receives brand name items such as American Eagle, Lucky and Abercrombie and Fitch.
"You can find name brand stuff for $2 or $3," Martin said. Parents come to shop there before school starts.
Items that don't sell within a month are put at half price in order to make room for new items.
"Every week we have a dollar item," Martin said.
The center has a storage building and a shed behind the center to store donated items.
"We love to get the household supplies in," Martin said. "We do have our regular customers. We get new merchandise every day."
The store also sells antiques.
Brooker said a few things that set the center apart are that it's faith-based, it washes and irons all clothing and it maintains a nice, clean environment for its clients.
"Go into any other thrift store in the area and use the nose test," Brooker said.
Brooker said the center gives away as much as it sells.
On May 14, Lurline Bruner was ironing clothing and running washing machines in the room behind the thrift store.
Bruner was thrift store manager before her daughter, Judy Martin, accepted the position. Martin was Bruner's assistant before the change.
"I think we've got a real good organization," Bruner said.
Along with washing and ironing, she also mends items and sews on buttons.
Bruner worked at Allens before she started there. She had a friend who used to work at Allens with her who asked her to come to the center. She said she would think about it. Bruner started working there 11 years ago.
She works five days a week, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
"It gives me something to do, keeps me busy," Bruner said. "You can't be sad up here. I love it. I enjoy every minute of it. I feel like I'm doing something to help other people."
Volunteer George Grimm has been working for four or five years in the pantry. He previously worked for Ford for 31 years.
"I enjoy it," Grimm said. "I come here every day." He does a lot of the stocking and organizing.
"I enjoy the people, especially the volunteers," Grimm said. "It's helping somebody. I just like to pay it forward. God's treated me good."
Operations manager Marla Sappington has her hand in a little bit of everything at the center. She was a volunteer for two years and has been an employee for three years.
"I work with the volunteers, schedule them," Sappington said. She keeps track of their hours.
Twice a month, she orders food from food banks. "We shop at Walmart, Aldi and Harps," Sappington said.
Flour and sugar are purchased in bulk and repackaged for clients. Center staff tries to encourage clients to eat fruits and vegetables.
Sappington keeps track of the number of clients they see, the number of children.
The center works with United Way in Watts, Gentry and Northwest Arkansas.
If a church has someone in need, the center will work to help.
Sappington works with youth groups on community service and those trying to obtain scholarship service hours.
As a volunteer, she interviews clients. "We have some that speak Spanish," she said.
The center has helped people from far away. For example, a family came in driving a recreational vehicle and received food after having a hard time. A person walking across the United States has stopped in to receive food.
"Our focus is we need to feed and clothe the people," Sappington said.
"We give a lot back," Sappington said. "We do so much for people."
In 2013, the center gave away $70,000 in clothing.
A growing trend has been grandparents raising grandchildren.
"They are forced to choose between medicine or food," Sappington said.
The center also refers people to other organizations and businesses. For example, a client needed a hearing aid repaired. The center worked with an area businesses to get it fixed. Another client needed glasses, and an area business helped.
"God wants us to help," she said. "It's a real genuine heart-felt duty."
The center has provided scrubs for someone for a job. Then, another need pots and pans, sheets, towels and curtains. They've also handed out diapers and hygiene products.
She has an email list of about 25 churches she sends out if the center is in need of items.
"There's always going to be a need for food," Sappington said.
Manna Center can be reached by calling 524-9825.
General News on 06/25/2014