Thirty people came for dinner at a small building on Hammond Street. It was 1991, and the beginning of Manna's work as a soup kitchen. A local attorney donated the space and the Protein Foundation provided seed money to buy a stove, cookware, and food. In 1994, Manna introduced a food pantry, instituted a drop-in center, and began offering social service referrals.

The spirit of community and a positive attitude continue to characterize Manna. Our mission is to minister to the spiritual and temporal needs of people throughout our community: to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, and to shelter the homeless. We practice Rescue, Hope, and Restoration in our work of neighbor helping neighbor.

Over time we have moved several times, even providing meals out of a van in a park when we found ourselves without a home. In 1995, we found a permanent home only to have it collapse during the 1998 ice storm. Throughout it all, we have continued to provide vital services to people who have fallen on hard times.

Our new home is the former Beal College building on Main Street. Moving into the Beal College building brings the structure back to its original use: providing housing for the destitute. The building once was the Poor Farm where care was given to those who had no place else to turn. Now, it shelters Manna Ministries, providing a permanent and central home for our efforts. This site offers the room necessary to expand Manna's current programs and meet increasing demand for comprehensive support services. At this much larger facility, Manna helps people to make lasting and positive changes in their lives.

Our vision is that everyone in our community will have food, clothing, housing, and an opportunity to support themselves. We invite you to join us in making this vision a reality.