SHARING SMILES—John Gorham, left, the executive director of Manna, the Conejo Vally food bank, cheerfully accepts a check for $5,844.80 from Steve Holt, editor of the Thousand Oaks Acorn. The money represents 40 percent of the proceeds from a voluntary subscription drive. In the wake of a declining economy, more and more people have gone to Manna for help. The generosity of Thousand Oaks Acorn readers has helped keep the shelves of Manna food bank stocked this summer. The organization now has the means to purchase more fresh meat for those in need.

On Tuesday, editor Steve Holt presented Manna executive director John Gorham with a check for $5,844.80 after T.O . Acorn readers sent in $25 checks for voluntary subscriptions to the weekly paper. Forty percent, or $10 from each subscription, went to the local food bank.

“I’m so happy for Manna. But I’m also happy for our readers. Because of their generosity, hungry people will be getting food. We have the greatest readers in the world, no doubt about it,” Holt said.

Other editions also participated. The Acorn raised $2,082.80 for Meals on Wheels; the Moor park Acorn raised $1,542 for Moorpark Food Pantry; the Ca marillo Acorn raised $3,024 for Casa Pacifica, and the Simi Val ley Acorn raised $3,116 for the Metrolink Community Memorial.

The odd amounts were the result of some readers giving more and others giving less than the requested $25 amount.

When Gorham heard the amount of the check, he said, “That’s amazing. That’s really cool.”

Immediately, he mentally began spending the money.

“That means we can purchase more fresh meat. We’re running low, and it’s so expensive. We really need it,” he said.

Gorham then began complimenting T.O. Acorn readers, who, he said, have been such a great support that the food bank has been “miraculously” able to keep their shelves stocked this summer even though they’ve been bombarded with requests for food.

“We fed 1,500 families last month, and that number is expanding through the roof this month,” he said.

Although there’s no extra food stored, they’ve had enough to feed those in need every day they’ve been open this summer, he said.

That has not always been the case. Usually in the summer, the need goes up and donations go down, he said. But readers have responded to the need by dropping off food in addition to subscribing to the newspaper.

The food bank is especially in need of more jams and jellies, soups, canned chili, canned pasta and boxes of cereal.

Gorham has written a letter to the editor in today’s edition about the need for continuing donations of food. It’s on page 7.