Major upgrade coming for Food Bank of Delaware’s Sussex County facility

Meals insecurity has elevated in Delaware and across the nation for the reason that pandemic started as individuals have misplaced their jobs and livelihoods.

“We noticed an inflow, an unbelievable inflow of oldsters coming to us that wanted assist,” Kanefsky mentioned. “We doubled our distribution, from the fiscal 12 months ending 2020 to 2021 and now this previous 12 months we even have seen a rise nonetheless.”

As pandemic restrictions have been lifted, the demand began to ease, however solely quickly. Growing inflation has drawn extra individuals again to the Meals Financial institution for assist. “Individuals are having hassle making ends meet,” Kanefsky mentioned.

In line with Feeding America, Delaware has practically 94,000 individuals going through starvation – about 31,000 are youngsters.

The brand new Milford web site will have the ability to add packages that exist already on the Meals Financial institution’s headquarters house in Newark. The present Milford location is simply 16,000 sq. ft., and never massive sufficient so as to add these packages with out renting further house.

In line with Kanefsky, the brand new constructing will higher serve individuals. Along with offering meals for households, coaching packages that can quickly be supplied in Milford will assist the neighborhood develop into extra self-sufficient, educated, expert, and capable of put meals on the desk with out the help of a meals financial institution.

Steve Thompson, chairman of the “Constructing Hope for Milford” marketing campaign and a board member of the Meals Financial institution of Delaware, has volunteered on the Sussex County facility for greater than ten years and served on the board for six years. He lived on a farm with 9 of his siblings and luckily for them, they didn’t have to fret about meals. That’s an expertise he desires to provide to different households too.

“It was clear that the scale of the Milford facility was simply not going to be adequate even at present or actually not going ahead,” Thompson mentioned.