I can’t begin to express my heartfelt gratitude for all the kindness our Conejo Valley neighbors have shown Manna, both throughout the years and especially during this most challenging summer in our history.

The response from Acorn readers has been immediate and extremely sincere. As a donationbased, grassroots charity, we depend on your generous spirit, and time and time again you deliver.

While I see the worst of the current crisis on the front lines, I also have the privilege of seeing more caring compassionate people than ever coming to Manna, wanting to help. It makes every long hard day all the more worthwhile.

Dozens of children are holding food drives–with their parent’s support–going door to door in their own neighborhoods and bringing in carloads of food with smiles on their faces.

Residents are stripping their fruit trees and planting larger gardens to donate to us, and volunteers are handing out fliers in front of grocery stores with a list of our most needed items.

Large companies are reading about our challenges and rallying their employees to come to our aid with an enthusiasm that’s infectious.

Service clubs are stepping up their already deep support, and everyone has responded to our vow to make sure we never turn anyone away who’s hungry in our valley.

With the middle class making up a larger and larger segment of our clients, we’re truly not just helping the less fortunate anymore; we’re feeding our contemporaries, and people instinctually seem to take to heart the saying “There but for the grace of God go I.”

I’m asking everyone to help us make one more push to get through this summer and get these kids back to school healthy and happy and ready for their futures. If you can bring in even one can of food and one dollar bill (our current campaign is: Save Our Summer . . . with a buck and a can), we can all ensure our promise is fulfilled and thousands of lives will be better off because of your good will.

Thank you! John Gorham Thousand Oaks

Gorham is the director of Manna food bank, 3020 Crescent Way, just south of Thousand Oaks Boulevard in T.O.