GEORGETOWN, Del. - The Food Bank of Delaware held its 34th mobile food pantry on Monday in Sussex County. The drive-thru food distribution was created to safely accommodate the influx of people who have been suffering from food insecurity during the pandemic.
A successful event would serve 200 to 300 households, pre-pandemic, and now the number is nearly five times that amount, with the food bank averaging 1,500 households. On Monday, 827 households were served. The food bank says since last March, (not including Monday), mobile pantries have received 42,847 visits. It's been an unprecedented year for the Food Bank of Delaware. At no time in history have we ever seen a need like we have over the course of the last year," said Chad Robinson, the community relations director for the Food Bank of Delaware. LAST FISCAL YEAR, before the PANDEMIC HIT, the fOOD BANK HAD DISTRIBUTED 8.6 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD. NOW, THAT NUMBER HAS SKYROCKETEd. MANY VOLUNTEERS were ON SITE, PLACING HAM, TURKEY, EGGS, BUTTER, AND NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS IN THE TRUNKS OF CARS. "What's really been amazing is the partners who stepped up to help. DelDOT, Public Health, Delaware Medical Reserve Corps, DE Best, all of these organizations that stepped up to make these things possible," said Robinson. Delawareans are grateful for the work the food bank is doing. "They are really wonderful the volunteers are all very thoughtful and it's been a saving grace to have this extra food," said Laura Butler from Longneck. The food bank is working to ensure Delaware families are food secure. "Whether we're doing distributions like this, or not, we are going to be here in the community to make sure that our community has the food resources that they need," said Robinson. Robinson says the Food Bank of Delaware will continue to hold mobile food pantries for the next few months. If you are in need of assistance
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