Did you know that in 2019, the annual food budget shortfall in Alamance County was more than $12 million? 23% of the population didn’t have enough money for groceries, but they made too much money to get help with food from government programs that typically step in.
And that was before COVID and before rising inflation drove prices even higher. According to SAFE Alamance, in 2025, hunger has reached a 15-year high in North Carolina.
As we celebrate the 4th of July this weekend and reflect on the freedom we enjoy, it’s worth remembering that not everyone in our community is free from worry… especially when it comes to feeding their families.
The good news is every month for more than a decade, FBC-Mebane’s Manna Market has been answering the call to serve families in Mebane who are struggling with food insecurity.
A Market on a Mission
“The mission for Manna Market is to provide supplemental food for those in need in Mebane,” says Gerald Dickerson, current coordinator of the program. He and a team of volunteers pack food each month and pass out the bags to nearly 30 families, and sometimes more.
Dickerson landed the role after participating as a volunteer for a number of years. Before the pandemic, participants would “shop” for their supplies at a makeshift store set up in the church’s fellowship hall. “They’d go through like they’re going through a grocery store,” Dickerson says.
Behind-the-Scenes at Manna Market
Today, the volunteers pack ready-to-go bags, and participants drive through and pick them up. “We pack on the Monday night before distribution,” Dickerson says. “Each person gets four bags of staple-type groceries: canned goods, dry goods, that kind of thing. Usually, we’ll have at least one protein or meat product, too. Last month, it was a pound of hamburger. This month it’ll be a package of hot dogs. Next month, we’ll have some more hamburger.”
Participants qualify for the program by filling out a simple application. The primary requirement is they must be residents of Mebane. If non-residents stop in, the team may initially provide needed groceries but will then refer them to other programs local to their residence.
When Everyone Brings One Grocery Item, No One Goes Without
With no shortage of volunteers helping pack and distribute each month, Dickerson says the biggest need is consistent food donations.
“If everybody would bring one or two cans or a box of cereal or a thing of oatmeal every time they come to church,” he explains. “If we brought just one item every week, we would never have to worry about donations. We would have plenty.”
It’s a simple ask. When you make your grocery run for your family each week, pick up one extra item and drop it in the Manna Market basket on your way into the weekly service. When you do, know you’re directly impacting families in Mebane.
“There’s a lot of satisfaction in it,” says Dickerson. “You get to know the families, and we’re making a difference in their lives as far as their food security. And that’s a really good feeling.”
To make a difference in the lives of families right here in Mebane, NC, bring one grocery item every week whenever you’re coming to a service or Bible study. Let’s impact our community together! See the current list of needs below.
