Spotlight: Manna Food Center

Every day this week, Patch is profiling a local nonprofit agency. If there's a nonprofit that you think your neighbors need to know about, email Doug Tallman or .

Mission: Manna Food Center strives to eliminate hunger in Montgomery County through food distribution, education and advocacy.

Contact Information: Phone: (301) 424-1130; Fax: (301) 294-7968; Address: 9311 Gaither Road, Gaithersburg; Website: www.mannafood.org

Financials: During the 2010-2011 fiscal year, Manna Food Center's total expenses were $6.7 million. The organization's audit report and tax filings are available online.

History: Manna Food Center was founded in 1983 and, since then, has distributed more than 36 million pounds of food. It is Montgomery County's primary food bank. For a full history, visit the food center's website.

How you can help: According to Natalie Corbin, Manna Food Center's development director, "Manna has several volunteer opportunities during business hours and on evenings and weekends. To stay informed of the latest opportunities, email volunteer@mannafood.org and asked to be added to Manna’s monthly Volunteer Newsletter. You can volunteer as an individual or with a group. Please note: You must be 18 to work in the warehouse during business hours for safety reasons. Typical opportunities include helping with food distribution, packing boxes for clients, sorting food, food drives, and acting as a Manna ambassador out in the community. It takes over 45,000 hours of volunteer service per year to feed more than 172,000 individuals."