Latest news with #Mana
The Herald
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald
USAID cuts threaten ‘God's food' made in Georgia for children in need
He has vowed to keep his factory going and his 130 workers employed, even as the Trump administration has slashed 90% of USAID contracts and $60bn in US assistance across the board. One possibility is finding another international aid organisation to support the manufacture and distribution of Mana's peanut paste packets, each about the size of a cellphone. Most of the product, which also includes powdered milk, sugar and vitamins, goes to Africa, where Moore served as a missionary in Uganda for 10 years. 'It saves children who are at the brink of no return,' said Mark Manary, an expert in childhood nutrition at Washington University's Institute for Public Health who helped develop the paste's formula. 'It's hard to wrap your mind around the need.' Manary said the food created in Georgia and at a similar operation in Rhode Island, Edesia Nutrition, is an important link in the global effort to stave off starvation of children in countries where the main killer is malnutrition. Moore hopes legislators and the Trump administration will see the value in the work and put the money back into the new federal budget. 'I believe the US government will remain involved in global food aid,' he said, adding he has spoken to Republicans and Democrats who want the work to continue. Moore is also seeking contracts with other organisations that specialise in humanitarian aid for children in crisis, including Save the Children, International Rescue Committee and Unicef. The organisations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. One bright spot in recent years was an infusion of cash from Chris Hohn, a hedge-fund billionaire based in London and a philanthropist with the Children's Investment Fund Foundation. Hohn's charity did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In recent years, Hohn has given more than $250m to Mana Nutrition, according to Moore, much of it spent on expanding the plant, more than doubling its space and adding new machinery. However, Mana needs new contracts to go forward, or another donation from philanthropists. 'We've been put on Earth for a purpose,' Moore said. 'Jesus told his disciples to go and feed the people. So we've been hustling nonstop.' Reuters
TimesLIVE
12 hours ago
- Business
- TimesLIVE
USAID cuts threaten ‘God's food' made in Georgia for children in need
Reaching into one of the giant white sacks piled up in his Georgia food-processing plant, Mark Moore pulls out a fistful of shelled peanuts, what he calls 'God's food', and lets them roll through his fingers. A former evangelical missionary, Moore is co-founder of Mana Nutrition, a US nonprofit that said it has fed 10-million children across the globe since 2010 with packets of peanut butter paste made in the small farming community of Fitzgerald, about 290km south of Atlanta. 'This saves children,' said Moore, 58, clutching a bunch of the protein-rich legumes. 'It's not an overstatement: We defeat death.' Mana is in the midst of its own struggle for survival. Deep cuts in federal programmes targeting international aid programmes under President Donald Trump have threatened to choke the financial lifeline that has allowed the nonprofit to carry out its life-saving mission. Since January, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), created during the height of the Cold War by then-President John F Kennedy, has been dismantled by the department of government efficiency, Trump's cost-cutting entity led until recently by billionaire Elon Musk. In announcing the termination of its contracts, which accounted for about 90% of Mana's $100m (R1.7bn) annual budget, the department of government efficiency sent a letter to the nonprofit saying its work was 'not aligned with agency priorities'. Efforts to reach a spokesperson for the state department, which oversees USAID, have been unsuccessful. In two terse letters sent to Mana and reviewed by Reuters, USAID offered no specific reasons for the terminations other than to say the work 'was not in the national interest'. Mana has enough money to keep running through to August at the most, Moore said, but he seemed unshakeable in his optimism about the future of its mission.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Big-hearted Westchester teen finishes veteran hall beautification project in time for Memorial Day — after freak accident
A big-hearted Westchester teenager has finished a project to beautify a local veterans hall in time for Memorial Day — after a freak accident and grueling recovery prevented him from completing it for months. Joseph Mana, 18, was nearly done fixing up the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Yorktown Heights, installing planter boxes, pressure washing the building and refinishing a bench, for an Eagle Scout project in October when he took a break to return to school, he and his father told The Post. 'It was supposed to be done in time for Veterans Day — but then tragedy struck,' his dad, Ed Mana, said. The teen, who was active in Boy Scouts troop 173, was playing touch football in fourth period gym class when another student accidentally slammed into his left leg from the side as he leaned back on it, Mana said. The impact and strange angle dislocated his knee and damaged a main artery behind it. 'I was in a lot of pain and shock,' Mana said. 'The top of my knee was indented down at an angle.' He was rushed to an emergency room, where doctors explained he needed surgery immediately to fix the artery. 'After they popped it back into place, they said it could be something wrong with the vascular side,' Mana said. For the next four months, the teen was forced to remain hospitalized while he recovered from three surgeries — including to repair the artery, remove pins from his ACL and fix a tendon. Ed Mana, 52, said it was hard to check his son into Blythedale Children's hospital in Valhalla knowing he'd likely be there for months. 'When you have to leave [your kid] there, it's like you're leaving someone in jail. There were tears,' he said. As the months passed, the teenager celebrated Halloween, New Years 'Day and his 18th birthday at the hospital. 'I was upset and annoyed I couldn't see [my friends],' Joseph Mana said. He even applied to colleges while on painkillers and confined to the medical center. 'I told him if you don't get in, you should write the college a letter later and say, 'I was high but not for the normal reasons,'' Ed Mana said. Finally, in March the teen was released and advised to do physical therapy twice a week and to wear a knee brace for the next year and a half. Over the weekend, he returned to complete the vets project, which will also include a flag box, and will be unveiled in a ceremony after the town's Memorial Day parade Monday. Mana is expected to give a short speech. 'Vets deserve this because they fought for our country, so we should spend our time helping them too,' he said. Since his accident, Mana has been accepted to SUNY Polytechnic Institute, where he plans to study computer science.
New York Post
25-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Big-hearted Westchester teen finishes veteran hall beautification project in time for Memorial Day — after freak accident
A big-hearted Westchester teenager has finished a project to beautify a local veterans hall in time for Memorial Day — after a freak accident and grueling recovery prevented him from completing it for months. Joseph Mana, 18, was nearly done fixing up the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Yorktown Heights, installing planter boxes, pressure washing the building and refinishing a bench, for an Eagle Scout project in October when he took a break to return to school, he and his father told The Post. 'It was supposed to be done in time for Veterans Day — but then tragedy struck,' his dad, Ed Mana, said. Advertisement 12 Yorktown Heights teen Joseph Mana made improvements to a local Veterans of Foreign Wars hall for his Eagle Scout project. Douglas Healey for NY Post 12 Mana working on the project with fellow scout Louis Tuccitto. Edward Mana 12 Mana told ThePost he selected the VFW project to give back to the veterans who fought for our country. Edward Mana 12 The VFW hall before the beautification project began. GoFundMe Advertisement The teen, who was active in Boy Scouts troop 173, was playing touch football in fourth period gym class when another student accidentally slammed into his left leg from the side as he leaned back on it, Mana said. The impact and strange angle dislocated his knee and damaged a main artery behind it. 'I was in a lot of pain and shock,' Mana said. 'The top of my knee was indented down at an angle.' 12 Mana suffered a nasty knee injury in gym class in October — delaying his Eagle Scout project. Edward Mana 12 The accident dislocated Mana's knee and injured an artery behind it. Edward Mana Advertisement He was rushed to an emergency room, where doctors explained he needed surgery immediately to fix the artery. 'After they popped it back into place, they said it could be something wrong with the vascular side,' Mana said. For the next four months, the teen was forced to remain hospitalized while he recovered from three surgeries — including to repair the artery, remove pins from his ACL and fix a tendon. 12 Mana had to spend four months in the hospital after the accident. Edward Mana 12 The high schooler was eventually released from the hospital in Mach. Edward Mana Advertisement 12 Mana is set to study computer science at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in the fall. Edward Mana Ed Mana, 52, said it was hard to check his son into Blythedale Children's hospital in Valhalla knowing he'd likely be there for months. 'When you have to leave [your kid] there, it's like you're leaving someone in jail. There were tears,' he said. As the months passed, the teenager celebrated Halloween, New Years 'Day and his 18th birthday at the hospital. 'I was upset and annoyed I couldn't see [my friends],' Joseph Mana said. 12 Mana working with his father Ed on the VFW project while wearing a knee brace. Douglas Healey for NY Post 12 The repairs at the VFW hall will be finished just in time for Memorial Day. Douglas Healey for NY Post He even applied to colleges while on painkillers and confined to the medical center. Advertisement 'I told him if you don't get in, you should write the college a letter later and say, 'I was high but not for the normal reasons,'' Ed Mana said. Finally, in March the teen was released and advised to do physical therapy twice a week and to wear a knee brace for the next year and a half. 12 Mana willl unveil the newly renovated VFW hall after Yorktown Heights' Memorial Day parade. Douglas Healey for NY Post Over the weekend, he returned to complete the vets project, which will also include a flag box, and will be unveiled in a ceremony after the town's Memorial Day parade Monday. Mana is expected to give a short speech. Advertisement 'Vets deserve this because they fought for our country, so we should spend our time helping them too,' he said. Since his accident, Mana has been accepted to SUNY Polytechnic Institute, where he plans to study computer science.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Teremana Tequila and INOArmor Team up for Earth Day to Launch New Revolutionary Sustainable Travel Packaging
Natural silk-based travel retail bags debut in Frankfurt, as both brands push to eliminate plastic waste New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - May 7, 2025) - In celebration of Earth Day, Teremana® Tequila and packaging innovator INOArmor™ have teamed up to unveil a new sustainable packaging initiative for global travel retail. Debuting in Frankfurt, Germany, Teremana® and INOArmor will offer limited-edition biodegradable gift bags that are designed to eliminate plastic waste, while maintaining the premium experience consumers expect from the brand. Sustainable packaging by INOArmor™ for Teremana® Tequila To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: The new packaging incorporates INOArmor's proprietary "silk pillow" technology, a natural, impact-resistant, and biodegradable material proven to absorb 7X more impact than traditional bubble wrap. In addition to offering enhanced protection for the bottle, the new bag is designed with repurpose in mind: it's not only biodegradable, but also reusable and giftable, reducing the need for incremental packaging. This thoughtful solution offers a durable, eco-conscious alternative to traditional foam and plastic, aligning with Teremana®'s ongoing commitment to responsible practices from production to packaging. "This collaboration with INOArmor is a powerful extension of Teremana®'s commitment to doing things the right way: with care, innovation, and purpose," says Richard Black, CEO of Teremana® Tequila. "It reflects our ongoing effort to lead with integrity and create more sustainable ways to share Teremana® with the world." The initiative is grounded in the spirit of 'Sharing the Mana', a philosophy at the heart of Teremana® Tequila, bringing people together through gratitude, sharing good energy and doing the right thing for the communities and the planet. At Teremana®, that means crafting tequila with care and partnering with those who share these values. Sustainability has long been a core focus, with 100% of leftover agave fibers being turned into compost for the agave fields. Together with INOArmor, Teremana is proud to take another step forward in reducing environmental impact and delivering a more sustainable experience for the community. "We're humbled to have partners like Teremana® who are committed to sustainability and doing what's right. INOArmor started with a passion for protecting people and we have grown into a company protecting the planet. We are excited to help customers share the Mana around the world with INOArmor," shared Co-Founder and CEO of INOArmor Charlie Maddock.
