Building Community

This month Manna, Inc staff and volunteers from NeighborWorks, our long-term partner, teamed up for a volunteer service project. The goal was to build a community garden at our Ft. Steven's residence. The team braved the heat and rain to cut back heavy ivy surrounding the garden site, build garden boxes, and plant various herbs, vegetables, and wildflowers.

Community gardens provide numerous benefits including promoting healthy eating habits, fostering a sense of community, and helping to beautify urban areas. It felt good to get back into the community and directly contribute to these benefits to help make a positive impact for our residents at Ft. Stevens.

Thanks again to NeighborWorks volunteers and Manna staff for creating a beautiful garden that will continue to nurture our community. There are already fresh herbs being picked for summer salads and soups by the residents.

If you are interested in volunteering with Manna in the future, please reply to this email. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and make new friends, all while engaging in a fun and rewarding activity.

Staff Spotlight:Welcome Stephanie and Julia!

Meet Stephanie Prall, Manna's new Director of Finance. Stephanie is a seasoned non-profit accounting professional with over 15 years of experience in non-profit finance in Baltimore.

Stephanie is inspired by the opportunity to collaborate with creative and motivated individuals who share her passion for non-profit work and its impact on communities. Since 2021, Stephanie has played a pivotal role in reshaping financial presentations and implementing new systems to enhance fiscal transparency in non-profit organizations. She was instrumental in securing over $2 million in COVID relief funds in Baltimore, administering State bond funds, and managing multiple grant awards – all while maintaining a clean audit record for the past 15 years.

Outside of work you can find Stephanie playing bocce ball, enjoying rose, and indulging in sweets.

We are pleased to welcome Julia Moran Morton as our new Director of Real Estate Development. Julia's experience in housing and community development spans decades. Julia has served on the board of several DC housing initiatives including the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development and All Souls Housing. She has developed thousands of residential units for non-profit, military, and for-profit organizations with a portfolio that includes multi-family new construction, substantial/gut rehabilitation, and commercial development with complex funding sources. Julia holds a BA in Psychology from Connecticut College and a M.S. in Architecture, Urban Planning & Real Estate Development (with a concentration in Housing & Real Estate Development) from Columbia University. We are thrilled to have Julia join the team at Manna, Inc.

Manna is a Grant Recipient of the Wells Fargo Foundation

We are delighted to share that Manna, Inc. received a $50,000 grant from our lending partner, Wells Fargo. This grant will enable us to offer a diverse range of services through our Home Ownership Center. We would like to express our gratitude to Donna Greene and Victor Burrola, who presented the check at our headquarters. This financial support is incredibly valuable and will significantly enhance our capacity to assist more clients with home-buying education and resources as they prepare to purchase their first home and build generational wealth.

Join Our Ward 8 Home Buyer's Club!

We are thrilled to announce the return of our Ward 8 Home Buyer Club starting in July! The Home Buyer Club is a joint partnership between Manna, Inc and 11th Street Bridge Park. Join us on the last Saturday of every month at the THEARC community room from 10am-12pm. We will be providing refreshments and the opportunity to connect and learn from various homebuying educators and speakers. Details can be found here. We look forward to welcoming you back to in person classes. The Ward 8 Home Buyer Club welcomes residents from all wards.

Our work in Washington DC and Prince George's County is made possible with your generous support.

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