Dear Manna Family,
As another week comes to an end, and as we once again find our old “normal” to be further and further in the distance, I want to remind all of us that our hope is not in the things of this world. Our hope is in things above. These last two weeks, along with the slow reopening’s around the country (Michigan just opened their dining rooms this past Monday), have brought more upheavals in the form of peaceful protests and, unfortunately, violence. I am sure for each of us in the Manna Family, these past several months have brought confusion, anxiety and, at times, anger. We all deal with this from our own individual perspectives and backgrounds, and these complexities exist even in our immediate families. I know as a dad raising a teenage daughter, I had to ask Dianne on many occasions why our daughter said certain things and behaved in certain ways. No matter how hard I tried or what I did, I could not empathize with her, as I had never experienced the things my young daughter was experiencing. The best I could do was listen and learn how to engage with her, unlike the way I engaged and “related” to my son Graham. These past several weeks I have once again found myself having to learn from some of you in our Manna Family, a family which is critically important to my immediate family.
In speaking with Drew, for example, who is one of our outstanding catering coordinators who is black, I realized that no matter how hard I tried, I could not relate to the struggles of being a young black man in our country. As I listened to Drew and, to his credit, as he listened to me, I realized if we at Manna really are who we say we are, his struggles are our struggles, even if we have never walked in his shoes. I came away hearing his heart, as did others like my son and his managers, and wanting to reassure every one of you that you matter to us. But at this particular time, our hearts and minds must be more sensitive to those within Manna who are black. Their struggle is real, and through compassionate and considerate dialogue, we can all do a better job of understanding their plea for black lives to be embraced, heard, valued, appreciated, and made as safe and secure as everyone else who travels through this world.
I want you to know that your perspective matters to me and to the leadership of Manna. I pray we will always have hearts to hear and care enough for any member of our family who is hurting. I pray we will be open with and trusting of each other to ensure we are the best that we can be. Today it is those in our family who are black; tomorrow it may be someone else or another part of our family that feels undervalued or disenfranchised. This is not our desire or our heart for anyone within our family.
I have asked our Director of Share the Dough, Rachel Flanagan, to identify organizations within our markets that can speak directly to the needs of black communities. Through Share the Dough, we have for many years looked for ways to serve those in need, be it our own family members or those within our communities. We will be allocating thousands of dollars in each community that will seek to work in ways to elevate, educate and promote the lives of young black children and their families who are in need. Under our HR and Training departments, I have begun to initiate workshops to address the needs of our family members whose perspectives need to be listened to and understood. We will begin with those of you who are our black family members, and will expand this to others in our family throughout the year.
Each of us, regardless of age, background or culture, have been shaped by our experiences. Each of us have our own preconceived notions, prejudices and bias. We are, after all, the sum total of the life we have experienced and lived. I vividly remember as a young boy growing up in Detroit during the 60’s, the profound impact the assassinations of three men had on my life. First, President John F. Kennedy. To this day I can still remember being sent home from school after lunch on that cold November day. As sad and confusing as this was for the average American, for a seven-year-old it was unsettling and scary. The years that passed were a blur of normal “kid” things--riding bikes, swimming and playing baseball--only to be interrupted again by divisive tensions as the 1967 riots broke out in Detroit. As unsettling as those summer months of 1967 were, a voice rose above it all. It was a voice of non-violence and peace, filled with hope and a brighter future. Martin Luther King, Jr., a deeply devote man of God, impacted our nation and stirred in me the deepening belief that Christ indeed does love us all and that all men are created equal and in the image of God. A second voice echoed Martin Luther King’s views, a voice that, like his brother JFK, wanted to unite our country, not divide it. The energetic and kind Bobby Kennedy would, along with Martin Luther King, bring about calm in a nation that was being torn apart.
I pray for each of you that your experience in the Manna Family is that our company provides a good and healthy place to work and is one that affords you opportunity and joy, regardless of who you are. I pray we will all work and interact together with the spirit and truth spoken of in Genesis 1:27 that, “We are all created in God’s image” and we are, as the Apostle Paul stated over 2000 years ago, “one in Christ.” Lastly, I pray we will continue to find ways to do better, serve and love one another more, and listen to each other more often. I want to thank Drew, my son Graham, and others who helped me these past few weeks to grow and become a better version of myself and to have a continuing desire to lead with a servant’s heart. To all of you in the Manna Family, thank you for your continued efforts these past many months to rise above the noise and confusion of our day. More importantly, thank you for being who you are -- a valued member of the Manna Family.
In His Grace,
Paul Saber
President/CEO Manna Development Group
1 Peter 4:8-11
Every Guest Every Time
As another week comes to an end, and as we once again find our old “normal” to be further and further in the distance, I want to remind all of us that our hope is not in the things of this world. Our hope is in things above. These last two weeks, along with the slow reopening’s around the country (Michigan just opened their dining rooms this past Monday), have brought more upheavals in the form of peaceful protests and, unfortunately, violence. I am sure for each of us in the Manna Family, these past several months have brought confusion, anxiety and, at times, anger. We all deal with this from our own individual perspectives and backgrounds, and these complexities exist even in our immediate families. I know as a dad raising a teenage daughter, I had to ask Dianne on many occasions why our daughter said certain things and behaved in certain ways. No matter how hard I tried or what I did, I could not empathize with her, as I had never experienced the things my young daughter was experiencing. The best I could do was listen and learn how to engage with her, unlike the way I engaged and “related” to my son Graham. These past several weeks I have once again found myself having to learn from some of you in our Manna Family, a family which is critically important to my immediate family.
In speaking with Drew, for example, who is one of our outstanding catering coordinators who is black, I realized that no matter how hard I tried, I could not relate to the struggles of being a young black man in our country. As I listened to Drew and, to his credit, as he listened to me, I realized if we at Manna really are who we say we are, his struggles are our struggles, even if we have never walked in his shoes. I came away hearing his heart, as did others like my son and his managers, and wanting to reassure every one of you that you matter to us. But at this particular time, our hearts and minds must be more sensitive to those within Manna who are black. Their struggle is real, and through compassionate and considerate dialogue, we can all do a better job of understanding their plea for black lives to be embraced, heard, valued, appreciated, and made as safe and secure as everyone else who travels through this world.
I want you to know that your perspective matters to me and to the leadership of Manna. I pray we will always have hearts to hear and care enough for any member of our family who is hurting. I pray we will be open with and trusting of each other to ensure we are the best that we can be. Today it is those in our family who are black; tomorrow it may be someone else or another part of our family that feels undervalued or disenfranchised. This is not our desire or our heart for anyone within our family.
I have asked our Director of Share the Dough, Rachel Flanagan, to identify organizations within our markets that can speak directly to the needs of black communities. Through Share the Dough, we have for many years looked for ways to serve those in need, be it our own family members or those within our communities. We will be allocating thousands of dollars in each community that will seek to work in ways to elevate, educate and promote the lives of young black children and their families who are in need. Under our HR and Training departments, I have begun to initiate workshops to address the needs of our family members whose perspectives need to be listened to and understood. We will begin with those of you who are our black family members, and will expand this to others in our family throughout the year.
Each of us, regardless of age, background or culture, have been shaped by our experiences. Each of us have our own preconceived notions, prejudices and bias. We are, after all, the sum total of the life we have experienced and lived. I vividly remember as a young boy growing up in Detroit during the 60’s, the profound impact the assassinations of three men had on my life. First, President John F. Kennedy. To this day I can still remember being sent home from school after lunch on that cold November day. As sad and confusing as this was for the average American, for a seven-year-old it was unsettling and scary. The years that passed were a blur of normal “kid” things--riding bikes, swimming and playing baseball--only to be interrupted again by divisive tensions as the 1967 riots broke out in Detroit. As unsettling as those summer months of 1967 were, a voice rose above it all. It was a voice of non-violence and peace, filled with hope and a brighter future. Martin Luther King, Jr., a deeply devote man of God, impacted our nation and stirred in me the deepening belief that Christ indeed does love us all and that all men are created equal and in the image of God. A second voice echoed Martin Luther King’s views, a voice that, like his brother JFK, wanted to unite our country, not divide it. The energetic and kind Bobby Kennedy would, along with Martin Luther King, bring about calm in a nation that was being torn apart.
I pray for each of you that your experience in the Manna Family is that our company provides a good and healthy place to work and is one that affords you opportunity and joy, regardless of who you are. I pray we will all work and interact together with the spirit and truth spoken of in Genesis 1:27 that, “We are all created in God’s image” and we are, as the Apostle Paul stated over 2000 years ago, “one in Christ.” Lastly, I pray we will continue to find ways to do better, serve and love one another more, and listen to each other more often. I want to thank Drew, my son Graham, and others who helped me these past few weeks to grow and become a better version of myself and to have a continuing desire to lead with a servant’s heart. To all of you in the Manna Family, thank you for your continued efforts these past many months to rise above the noise and confusion of our day. More importantly, thank you for being who you are -- a valued member of the Manna Family.
In His Grace,
Paul Saber
President/CEO Manna Development Group
1 Peter 4:8-11
Every Guest Every Time
"The Heart of Manna"
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