Manna Meal launches Operation S.A.F.E. to raise money for indoor winter dining

This spring, the organization announced that they would be feeding people outdoors from their food trucks in the warmer months instead of at the Garnet Career Center, 922 Dickinson St., to “conserve resources.� 

Through Operation S.A.F.E. (Service. Access. Food. Essentials.), Manna Meal Executive Director Amy Wolfe hopes to raise $7,000 a month to cover rent, security and some staffing costs in the winter months.

“This will be a critical lifeline during severe conditions, offering nourishment, shelter, and a moment of relief and dignity when it’s needed most,� the organization said in a statement.

Wolfe said ideally, she would like to go back to Garnet during the winter months.

“However, they may very well find another tenant during our off months,� she said. “And so we are certainly [looking] for also having an alternative plan in case that is not an option.�

Wolfe said when Manna Meal moved to Garnet after leaving St. John’s Episcopal Church, there were “so many unbudgeted costs that came with that.� The rent for Garnet is $4,500 monthly.

“It was such a much greater cost than what we had previously been paying that we just had to make a decision, unfortunately, to figure out how we were going to try to pull the reins in on some of our costs in these economic times,� she said.

Wolfe said the mobile fleet operations are going “pretty smooth,� but no one with Manna Meal is happy about being outside this week of extreme heat.

“ We believe that we're letting people down by not having a place for them to go in,� she said. “This is why this fund is so important.�

Donations to the Operation S.A.F.E. fund can be made at MannaMeal.org/operation-safe.