First of all, thank you for agreeing to an interview! Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I'm currently a high school senior and an active member of my school’s track team (I run hurdles) as well as the cross-country team. I am also involved in student government as a Senior Class Officer and lead several clubs on campus such as the Chinese Language & Culture Club and the Filmmaking Club.
Tell us about Manna Breads.
Three years ago, I made the decision to establish a nonprofit that could utilize my passion for baking to address the issue of food insecurity facing Charlotte. For every sale of my homemade bread or pasta, 100% of profits are directed towards fighting food insecurity in Charlotte. Throughout the process of building Manna Breads, I collaborated with other nonprofits such as Families Forward Charlotte and Runningworks. I gained valuable experience in serving my community and making connections with the people of Charlotte, who throughout the process, continue to surprise me with their generosity. In the Summer of 2020, Manna Breads was able to:
Finance a weekly free lunch program each Friday in Uptown Charlotte during the summer of 2020.
Provide multiple families with weekly grocery drop-offs.
Distribute 200+ care packages (care packages contained food, common household amenities, and PPE).
Accumulate excess profits over the summer, establishing a $1,250 fund at the end of the summer which ensures that despite my inability to work full-time during the academic year, the services our beneficiaries depend on will continue uninterrupted until March of 2021.
Name: Luke Manna
Age: 18 years old
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA
What inspired you to start Manna Breads? What are your future plans for it?
I actually come from a line of bakers on my father's side, so I've been raised hearing about the bread my bisnonna used to make in Naples. It had always been family mythology to me but inspired me to get into baking in the first place. After the first loaf I baked, however, I was hooked and quickly fell in love with the art of breadmaking.
When it came to translating that passion of mine into what is now Manna Breads, it took a while. At a certain point, I was baking more than my family could comfortably eat and decided to bring some of my creations to my cross country team practices to share. There, my teammates enjoyed what I had made so much they encouraged me to start selling it.
For a short time, I did just that, selling what I made and pocketing the money myself. However, soon after this, I realized how much more of an impact I could make if I took that money and put it towards something charitable. Once I realized the issue I had to focus on, the rest was history. As for my future plans for Manna Breads, it is unlikely that I will be able to bake on an industrial scale during college, but I am confident that I have helped to lay the groundworks for a culture of social entrepreneurship at my school.
At the end of last year, a classmate reached out to me in search of help with starting his own charitable venture. After talking with him several times to discuss a business strategy, I decided the best course of action would be to use the school’s social network to market his venture and reach a large and receptive audience quickly. After talking with administration, we collaborated to create the Student Entrepreneurship Program at my high school which now hosts dozens of young student entrepreneurs. Hopefully, this program will contribute towards the growth of an entrepreneurial mindset and culture at my high school that will long outlive my short time here.
What do you think of the issue of food insecurity?
By the time I had started baking, I was already well educated on the matter of food insecurity in Charlotte. My familiarity with the subject no doubt influenced my decision to make a dent in that problem as it would not only allow for the most direct and substantial impact on the lives of others, but would also fit the theme of my venture. Among the US's top 50 major metro areas, Charlotte ranks nearly last when it comes to upward socioeconomic mobility. Couple that with an abysmal public transit system and you have the perfect storm for generational lack of access to proper nutrition in food deserts.
By distributing food the way I have with Manna Breads, I was able to get quality food to people who either did not have the money, means of transportation, or time to access it otherwise. I have no doubt that if these three issues are addressed properly, the issue of food insecurity both in Charlotte and nationwide will begin to subside.
Are there any other social justice causes that you’re involved in?
I've been mostly hyper-focused on this issue for quite a while now, but as I go away to college this fall, I am excited to find new causes and movements that resonate with me.
Interested in being featured as a GenHR Youth Changemaker? Send us an email at genhryouthchangemaker@gmail.com or fill out our application.