Remembering Mark Brooker

Mark Brooker, executive director of The Manna Center, was known for his compassion for others and his passion for feeding people.

Brooker died on May 24 at the age of 59, but the nonprofit food bank is moving forward with its mission, according to operations manager Marla Sappington.

"We are saddened but we have a mission doing God's work. ... We know how important it was to Mark," said Sappington, who has known Brooker since they attended Siloam Springs High School together. Sappington said she feels like she lost a brother.

Brooker is not replaceable and The Manna Center will feel his loss for a long time to come, but the center has a great team of staff members and volunteers in place that are enabling it to move forward with serving the needs of the community, according to Lori Winesburg, board president. She asked for prayers for Brooker's family and for The Manna Center as it moves forward.

"His presence will be greatly missed," she said.

Brooker started his work at the The Manna Center as a board member 10 years ago before transitioning into the role of executive director, according to his obituary, printed in the May 27 edition of the Herald-Leader. Earlier in his career, Brooker worked as an aerospace engineer at Martin Marietta in Denver, as a sales engineer for TRW in Boone, N.C., and IRC in Corpus Christi, Texas, before coming to Siloam Springs in 1993, where he worked in seniors management at DaySpring Cards for 17 years.

Brooker's impact was felt far and wide at The Manna Center, Winesburg said. He always showed genuine care and compassion, she said.

Brooker began each day at the center with a prayer and a reminder to help people leave better than they had come, according to Sappington and the volunteers that worked at the center.

When Brooker came to the center in 2011, it was serving about 7,000 people a year and since has grown to serve more than 16,000 people a year, Sappington said. Last year, the nonprofit employed seven part-time staff members and 90 volunteers who logged 10,000 hours, she said.

In the past, the center has served people who live within a 15-mile radius of Siloam Springs in both Arkansas and Oklahoma, but since the covid-19 pandemic began, the nonprofit has dropped residency requirements and is serving everyone in need, Sappington said.

As a leader, Brooker was a calm steady presence, Winesburg said. He was known for being hardworking, dependable and leading with passion and integrity, she said. Sappington said Brooker helped volunteers and staff members feel like a family and a team.

"He didn't lead -- we all walked together," Sappington said.

Brooker had a sensitive heart and often stayed up at night worrying about clients, Sappington said.

"He was a fixer -- you can't fix poverty -- he was really devoted to The Manna Center," she said.

Volunteers remembered Brooker for being a people person. Brooker often took time to come out into the waiting room and visit with clients, according to volunteer Mary Rose.

"Sometimes all they need is just that friendly pat on the shoulder or someone to sit and talk to them," Rose said. "Sometimes they needed that as much as food."

Volunteer Laura Lewis called Brooker the "resident grandpa." She said he loved babies and children and said he could often be found holding a baby or getting out fruit snacks for the children. Brooker treated everyone the same, whether they were homeless or living in a mansion, she said.

Debbie Drittler, manager of the center's clothing store, said Brooker also made time to make rounds and connect with volunteers and staff members.

"He cared about everybody and what you were going through, your personal life, he was very caring," she said.

Volunteer Alston Tun remembers Brooker's morning prayers, during which he would always say the phrase, "We pray that people will leave better than when they came," Tun said.

Brooker was good at going out and talking to people and getting donations, according to volunteer Larry Joe Oxford. People are willing to donate and volunteer for The Manna Center because the nonprofit does things right and allows people to be a part of something bigger than themselves, Tun said.

"(Brooker) would explain the vision so well that people wanted to be a part of it," he said. "People always wanted to be a part of it because his vision was always very palpable."

Volunteer David Jensen said he has seen a lot of improvements to The Manna Center during the eight years he has worked there. Both Tun and Oxford remembered Brooker for this fun and easygoing ways.

"Mercy and grace was his mantra," Lewis said. "If we had any issues or people scamming, we would feed them anyway. If there was any animosity, he would say 'Mercy and grace.' He was fun to work with, he really was. He made it very enjoyable and we are all going to do what he wanted us to do and that's feed people."