The shelves of Thousand Oaks’ food bank were emptied on Fri, Oct. 23 when a record number of families came to the charity for help.

The next day, volunteers from Ascension Lutheran Church and Girl Scout Troop No 60965 and a local family showed up and refilled the bare cupboards.

No one in need who lives in Conejo Valley is turned away. Each is escorted by Manna volunteers through the pantry. They’re given grocery bags full of whatever the charity has to offer at the time—meat, milk, canned food, cereal, baby diapers, shampoo and desserts.

“Friday (Oct. 23) was Manna’s busiest day ever,” said Mike Mathews, Manna’s executive director. “We had 55 families (come) through the door.”

On Friday morning, Mathews and food bank volunteers thought their shelves were stocked for the weekend. Then families from all economic levels came in. Some executives who had been laid off needed bags of groceries to feed their families and recently divorced mothers came for help to make ends meet, Mathews said.

At the food pantry the next morning, the shelves were restocked when the church and the Girl Scout troop delivered the bounty of their recent food drives.

“In the 10 days I’ve been here, the shelves always seem to fill up when we need it most,” Mathews said.

Also on Saturday morning a local family called and asked what the pantry needed.

“A father with two young daughters came in with about $200 worth of items,” Mathews said.

The father said he was teaching his children about giving back to the community.

Those in need may come back once every four to six weeks, depending on available food supplies.

“The food supplement people get from Manna is often the only way they stay housed,” said Leslie Eschrich, Lutheran Social Services case manager.

Eschrich had been talking with a woman going through a divorce who couldn’t afford groceries. She told the woman about Manna as well as the nightly hot meal program that’s offered at a different house of worship in Thousand Oaks each night. Eschrich also suggested the woman drop by the agency at 80 E. Hillcrest Drive, Ste. 101, for dry pantry items in between her Manna pickups. Lutheran Social Services has a smaller pantry, but people drop off goods for them, too, and they pass them along to those in need, Eschrich said.

“There are people who find they can’t pay the rent and buy food. What Manna and the hot meal program does is help people not have to worry about their families going hungry if they pay their rents,” she said.

Manna’s most needed items are canned soup, peanut butter, jams, jellies, boxed cereal, canned chili, smaller bottles of cooking oil, pasta sauce, one-pound boxes of sugar, canned vegetables, canned prepared pasta, canned tomatoes, tomato sauces and canned meat such as tuna, chicken and salmon. Disposable baby diapers sizes 4, 5 and 6 are also needed.

Before donating food, check expiration dates. Manna is required by law to throw away foods that are past their expiration dates.

Conejo Valley’s food bank had an even bigger day on Tues., Oct. 27, according to Mathews.

Manna is always in need of donations and welcomes individuals or groups organizing food drives for them. They also need volunteers.

With the holidays coming up, Manna will be providing turkey dinners for those in need along with the regular food supplements.

Manna’s address is 3020 Crescent Way. The mailing address for donations by check is P.O. Box 1114, Thousand Oaks, CA 91358. Call (805) 497-4959 or e-mail info@mannaconejo.org.