ABAC students provide directions for the long line of cars wrapping around Charles Spencer Elementary School.

TIFTON — The sixth annual Manna Drop will feed families in need of Thanksgiving meals on Saturday, Nov. 17, at Charles Spencer Elementary School. One bag of food will be given to every family starting at 10 a.m. and continuing until there is nothing left.

A team of five Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College students organized and raised funds for the event this year. The Manna Drop began as a project by ABAC’s Stafford School of Business but has become a student program. Students organize and coordinate the donations received from businesses in the community to feed 400 families.

Around $9,000 dollars will be spent on food this year according to Manna Drop veteran Lane Riley. Riley studies business at ABAC and this will be his fourth Manna Drop.

“It’s a way to help people out,” Riley said, “I’d want somebody to do that for me, so it’s something I enjoy being apart of every year.”

The team orders food through Publix. Publix donates reusable bags to distribute the food. Every bag will contain a five-pound ham, cornbread mix, rice, canned green beans and canned corn. ABAC’s Baptist Collegiate Ministries will help distribute the bags of food.

Ameris Bank collects additional canned goods and non-perishables to be added in each bag.

Loren Lindler, an agriculture communications student on the team, stressed that this event is only made possible because of the students.

“It’s a student-led philanthropy,” Lindler said. “Nobody makes you do it. It’s just something you want to do.”

Landon Rowe is a writing and communication student at ABAC and this will be his first Manna Drop.

“These people need feeding and me being a farmer, I know the importance of food and the importance of agriculture,” said Rowe. “And if there are people that need to be fed then that’s what I’m here to do, to feed some people on Thanksgiving.”

The team is accepting donations for next year’s Manna Drop. Anyone interested in donating or volunteering contact Lane Riley at his email, lriley2@stallions.abac.edu.