LIFE

Fighting the Fight

by Anthony Panvini image courtesy of MANNA

Twenty-three years ago, Sue Daugherty, RDN, LND, CEO, accepted a role at MANNA as a Registered Dietitian Nurse (RDN) – a decision that shaped her career and her life.

Upon completion of school, Daugherty started working with a healthcare system in South Jersey. Her employer at the time had gotten a contract with an infectious disease clinic that wanted a dietitian spe-

cifically for patients with HIV and AIDS. Daugherty accepted, not knowing at the time just how much it would end up shaping her career.

“Off I went to this clinic and, honestly, looking back, it was lifechanging. I remember walking into this tiny room with all these healthcare providers and learning about the complications of HIV and AIDS and the importance of nutrition,” Daugherty says. “I became passionate about HIV and AIDS which is how I learned about MANNA – because I was referring clients – MANNA was an HIV/AIDS organization back then - there for nutrition services.”

In 1999, there was an opening at MANNA for a Registered Dietitian. Daugherty applied and got the job. It was the start of her involvement in changing the focus of the organization.

“With the advancement of HIV treatment and medications, we shifted the focus from [providing care and comfort] as people die, to helping people live,” Daugherty says. “I was fortunate to be involved with building menus around science and around the right nutrition and making sure people had the right nutrients to win their fight.”

After holding several positions throughout MANNA and continuing to contribute to the organization moving forward, Daugherty was promoted to Executive Director in 2012 and Chief Executive Officer in 2014. She immediately recognized that working her way up has benefited her tremendously in her current role today and works to provide others that same opportunity.

“A lot of our staff have worked their way up the ranks, and I want to give staff here the opportunity that I’ve been afforded – to grow and advance their roles within the organization,” she says.

Daugherty says MANNA is often mistaken for programs like food banks or food insecurities programs. MANNA’s mission is to provide treatment to a population of clients that are the sickest of the sick. People that often don’t have the resources available to seek adequate nutrition. MANNA delivers food to approximately 1,600 households, weekly, throughout Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, offering about 13 different diet modifications. MANNA employees and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure the proper food is delivered to all their clients in a timely manner.

“We provide all of our clients three meals a day, seven days a week…complete nutrition that they get the right energy and the right nutrients for their life,” Daugherty says. “That’s all done by a relatively small staff of about 55 employees, but an army of volunteers. We are really fortunate we have close to 10,000 volunteers a year that come in here and help us in the kitchen – chop, dice, pack and deliver meals.”

None of what MANNA does would be possible without those volunteers. They motivate her and the staff to work as hard as they do. “The one thing that never changes is that volunteers show up. It’s truly amazing,” Daugherty says. “They continue to show up every single day and were such an inspiration to this staff that there was never a question of should we come to work or close [during the pandemic]. We’re an essential service provider. Our clients need our services more than ever and so the volunteers are truly inspiring.”

All in all, Daugherty says the main mission of MANNA would not be possible without an incredible staff and volunteers – providing people with the right nutrients to win their fight.

Located in Center City Philadelphia, MANNA just celebrated its 32nd Anniversary. Its annual “Shut up and Dance” event will be held on Saturday, April 30th, at the Forrest Theatre. PRH