GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Manna for Life, a Green Bay nonprofit that houses a food pantry, thrift store, church and resource center at its location on University Avenue is asking the community for support after losing its 10,000-square-foot storage facility this summer.
"It's affected every single person who comes to Manna for Life," Thrift Store Manager Nikki O'Donnell said.
The company that rented Manna for Life the storage space notified the nonprofit this spring that it would need the space back for its own use. O'Donnell said Manna for Life moved out of the warehouse in June.
More than 100 people visit Manna for Life each day, and the loss of the storage facility has forced the nonprofit to decline some donations that help fulfill its mission.
O'Donnell said the move came at a time when Manna for Life was starting to expand. "We wanted to keep growing, but without that warehouse space, it's not possible to grow right now," said O'Donnell.
The nonprofit is now renting two small storage units to compensate for the lost space, but according to O'Donnell, that's not sustainable.
"It's just not really in our budget right now," O'Donnell added.
The building the nonprofit owns also frequently needs repair.
"One repair usually costs what we make in sales a week. It just seems like it's one thing after another," O'Donnell noted.
Supervisor April Thyrion said the uncertainty makes planning difficult.
"There's a lot of things to figure out, and without knowing what our resources are, it's kind of hard to move forward," said Thyrion.
Manna for Life has the space to build a warehouse next door to its current site, but Thyrion said the nonprofit needs community support to make that possible.
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Employees say Manna for Life has given them a second chance and a sense of purpose.
"There's something really, I think, special for a lot of us, just being able to give back to the people who were once where we were at," O'Donnell said. "It means everything."
Thyrion echoed that sentiment.
"Manna for Life saved my life," stated Thyrion.
Neighbors who want to support Manna for Life can make a monetary donation on the nonprofit's website or donate items to the Manna for Life Thrift Store.
