Clarksville, TN – Manna Cafe Ministries is about feeding, loving and nurturing the poor and homeless. This past Saturday, they held a “Block Party” for the New Providence community at the Vacation Motel located at 650 Providence Boulevard from 2:00pm to 6:00pm.
There was a live DJ supplying the tunes and volunteers helping with the carnival games and serving the food. It was estimated that over 400 people came by to enjoy the fun.
The meal being served was hotdogs, Jason’s homemade baked beans, chips and drinks. There was enough on hand to serve 500 people. All of the food was donated by churches and local organizations.
Jabe said “We have had 300 plus people since 2:00pm today. These are people that eat breakfast with us every Saturday morning and come to our Tuesday and Thursday meals.”
There was also backpacks and school supplies on hand for 200 kids. By the end of the day, everything had been handed out.
Terrell Jackson, of SAT Entertainment, volunteered his time and equipment to DJ the event. He kept everyone jamming with his music mixes. Terrell even organized group dancing to songs like the “Cha Cha Slide”.
Everyone one had a wonderful time at the Manna “Block Party”. You could see it on their faces. From the kids, the adults and the volunteers, everyone wore a smile.
“This is just want Manna does. We feed people, hug them and spend time with them,” said Jabe.
A special thanks to the Kennedy Law Firm, volunteers and church groups that helped to make this happen.
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About Manna Café Ministries
From 2004-2008, Kenny was on staff at an inner city ministry in Nashville. Among his responsibilities were preparing food and overseeing Meal of Hope, an outreach for those living in the Jo Johnson projects of the city. Each week, the Meal of Hope team fed between 50 and 200 people. Kenny also oversaw the food pantry, which distributed more than 200 bags of food each week, and supervised the food preparation for hundreds of missionaries as they came through the Nashville area.
During the winter of ’09-’10, Kenny and Vicki began to feel God pulling them toward Clarksville, TN. After seeking counsel from area pastors and other community leaders, they packed their belongings and moved to Clarksville in late April of 2010. Three days later, the devastating flood of ’10 hit the area, and they hit the ground running in the area of disaster relief.
Within weeks–and with the help of a hard-working, dedicated core team of volunteers–MCM was carrying out a community meal for the homeless and poor on Thursday nights (on Pageant Lane). Within a month or two, and in conjunction with a local church community, MCM was involved in a Saturday morning breakfast as well. Finally, in the month of August, a church from Dover, TN stepped up to the plate so that Tuesday Café (on Providence Boulevard.) became possible. Therefore, MCM is presently offering three community meals per weeks: Tuesday Café, Thursday Café, and Saturday Breakfast Café. Via these three events, hundreds of individuals receive a hot meal as well as a “goody bag,” i.e. a bag of non-perishable food items to use throughout the week.
What makes Manna Café Ministries unique is its mobility. Meals are served and food is distributed from various locations throughout the community. Manna Café Ministries is committed to going to where the need exists.
To learn more visit their website at www.mannacafeministries.com
