Everyone knows what it feels like to be hungry.

Some of us get hungry a lot—like about three times a day.

But there’s another kind of hunger most of us have never felt—the kind of hunger when there’s no food in the cupboards or refrigerator, and no money in the house. The checking and savings accounts are empty and there are no credit cards.

That’s a different kind of hunger.

People like these are the clients of Manna, the Conejo Valley food bank. People go there because they’re hungry and Manna has food. But the supply of groceries is dangerously low. These days, nothing sits for long in the pantry or in the refrigerator at Manna because food goes out as fast as it comes in.

Why?

Because demand has never been higher. Despite “spin masters” who claim the recession is over, it’s not—not in California anyway—and certainly not here.

There’s a new kind of client at Manna, somebody who’s never been there before—a person who’s lost a job or was laid off.

They’ve never needed food before because they’ve always had money to buy groceries. They hope to get their heads above water soon, so they never have to go back—except as donors.

That’s where you come in. If you can spare some of the extra food you have, please give it to Manna. It’s south of Thousand Oaks Boulevard at 3020 Crescent Way, just west of Hampshire Road. Please check expiration dates, though, because the food bank can’t accept items that have outlived their shelf life. The best times to drop off food are: 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays; 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays; 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; and 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Fridays.

Money, too, is always welcome. Make checks payable to Manna and send them—whatever you can afford—to P.O. Box 1114, Thousand Oaks, CA 91358.

Thank you for helping Manna. Donations are especially needed now and through the end of the year.