Breaking Bread to Build Connections

No matter what the culture or cuisine, sharing a meal with others is one of the best ways to break down barriers. Manna Food Center launched a “breaking bread” conversation series to help solidify common values necessary to successfully combat hunger.  Community members and Manna staff come together every third Wednesday, enjoying food and conversation together.

Agar Mbianda, Manna Food Center’s Community Engagement Manager, who facilitates the discussions describes the monthly gathering as, “a safe space where community members, individuals, partners, and community-based organizations can come together to break bread while exploring food insecurity issues in Montgomery County and find possible solutions.” 

Volunteers, community members, and Manna staff came together for a meal and conversation as part of Manna’s ongoing series, Breaking Bread. Last December they spoke about holiday food traditions, gratitude, and where to steer our Breaking Bread sessions in the coming year.

Manna began Breaking Bread in 2015 using ideas from Harvard University’s School of Education. The sessions were initially geared to Manna staff and facilitated by Jeff Miller Consulting Alliance and Trusted Space Partners, with funding from the Samuel and Harriett Miller Fund, in memory of Jeff’s parents. Manna expanded Breaking Bread gatherings to include members of the communities we serve, Board members, and a range of community supporters and decision makers. The conversations center on critical issues — such as race, class, and a culture of dependency — that create or contribute to hunger and food insecurity in our community.

A holiday Breaking Bread session featured a delicious potluck lunch with conversation.

A recent topic was Seasonal Cooking. Some key takeaways:

• Eating what is grown in season is economical.
• Try not to attach moral values to specific foods. Eat what is useful for your body.
• Wasting food harms the planet.
• Strive for a balance between eating cultural food that you enjoy and seasonal food.
• Learn and practice food preservation so as not to waste food.
• Food is part of our life – some poor eating habits from childhood are not easy to change – strive to make healthy meals.
• Eat with moderation, but give ourselves grace, so we don’t experience “moral exhaustion” if we eat something that is not considered healthy.

All are welcome to join the monthly meetings, held on the third Wednesday of the month from 12-1pm ET. The next Breaking Bread will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 19^th. The topic will be Disability and Increased Food Availability.  Please click HERE to sign up. Stay tuned for the in-person session with local farmers in May.