Delaware lawmakers will hold donation drives in Glasgow and Milford to support the Food Bank of Delaware after the nonprofit’s food deliveries were canceled by President Donald Trump. 

The Trump administration halted food aid shipments and funding earlier this month, resulting in a roughly 900,000 meal shortage for the Delaware food bank. The federal government’s actions have resulted in food banks across the country scrambling to make up for the shortfalls.  

In February alone, more than 50% of the food distributed by the Food Bank of Delaware came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Food Assistance Program, which supplies essential items to food banks across the country.  

Delaware Democratic legislators are hosting two donation drives to raise awareness of the recent cuts: 

• House Democrats will a food drive from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, at the Food Bank of Delaware’s Glasgow location at 222 Lake Drive.  
• State senators will hold a similar donation drive at the food bank’s Milford location from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 3, at 102 Delaware Veterans Blvd. 

Rep. Eric Morrison, who is organizing the event, said he’s a regular volunteer at the food bank and has seen the increased demand for the nonprofit’s services. 

HOW TO HELP: How you can help the Food Bank of Delaware after Trump cancels food shipments

“Without the regular support from the USDA that they rely on, the Food Bank will not be able to feed all of the Delawareans in need,” he said in a news release Friday. “Now is the time that we must band together and do what we can to assist the Food Bank and our neighbors in need.” 

Delaware legislators are inviting residents to take part in the food drive by donating to the Food Bank. Most-needed items include: hot and cold cereals, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, canned meats, rice and pasta.   

For more information on how to donate to or volunteer with the Food Bank of Delaware, visit www.fbd.org/get-involved.  

Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com.

I consider myself an adventurer at heart.

Over the last 17 years, my family and I have gone on many adventures up and down the First State. From hiking and cycling around Lums Pond State Park to taking a weeklong getaway to Fenwick Island, we made it a goal to try and explore as much as Delaware as we could, taking in all our new home had to offer.

That’s part of what drew me to being a journalist in the first place: the chance to go somewhere new, meet new people and learn what truly drives them to do what they do.

Whether it was a Lewes restaurant hosting drive-thru movie nights, a Middletown student collecting donated prom dresses or small-business owners pushing for lawmakers to raise the minimum wage, covering Delaware not only allows me to tell the stories that need to be told but also to learn more about a state I have called home for the last several years.

When I first joined The News Journal last summer, there was no shortage of breaking political news: The previous legislative session just ended. Then-Gov. John Carney declared his candidacy for Wilmington mayor, leading to the gubernatorial race. Then-U.S. Sen. Tom Carper announced his retirement, leading then-U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester to run for his soon-to-be-open seat. Several political newcomers vied for vacant positions at Legislative Hall.

Needless to say, there was a lot to explore.

For the last several months, my reporting has taken me to new places across the First State, introducing me to fresh and reacquainting me with familiar faces, and experiencing some traditions and big events: attending the Delaware State Fair in Harrington. Talking with now-U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride in Wilmington. Attending Return Day in Georgetown. Speaking with now-Gov. Matt Meyer while walking through downtown Dover – the list goes on.

With the legislative session underway, a slew of bills have been (re)introduced and potentially could lead to change in the First State – including, but not limited to, enshrining reproductive freedom in the state constitution and reintroducing the end-of-life options act.

Delaware House Rep. Kendra Johnson’s service came from divine inspiration

Don’t get me wrong: It’s not always an easy road. Aside from the constant fear of getting stuck in traffic – which, knock on wood, has happened only once – there’s also one question that continues to linger in the back of my brain: What if?  

Ordinarily, this question wouldn’t bother me. Heading out into the unknown was an adrenaline rush – I thrived on it.

But now, with the current political climate, an air of uncertainty hangs in the air. Thoughts of what might happen, how it might trickle down and who may be caught in the crossfire.

While that question hangs in the balance, and may keep me up at night, I’ve come to learn this is what we as journalists do: We continue to do what we do best. We put ourselves out there, absorb as much as possible and tell the stories that must be written.

This is all part of the process: We have a general idea of where we’re going, but we have no idea what we might encounter – or learn – when we get there.

Because journalism in itself is an adventure – and I cannot wait to see where it takes me next.

One final note: I am the author of The Press Room, a weekly roundup to what’s new, what’s happening and what’s changing in First State politics. As always, if you’re interested in sharing story tips, ideas or observations, please send them my way at omontes@delawareonline.com.

Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.

The governor’s recommended budget includes $937 million for capital improvements, $255 million for transportation projects, $83 million in Grant-In-Aid funding and a $60 million supplemental bill. It calls for investments in areas like housing, education and healthcare.

Meyer is calling for emergency funding for school districts and charters with large numbers of students who are failing to read at a proficient level. He declared a “literacy emergency” in Delaware earlier this year after 8th-grade reading scores dropped to a 27-year low. He is also proposing investing $3 million directly into classrooms while also raising $3 million from private donors to put into the effort as a pilot program.

His proposal also calls for a $12 million increase for affordable housing initiatives, including $6 million for state rental assistance. The plan includes reducing homelessness and streamlining the process for constructing affordable housing.

“I like to say the rent is still too damn high,” Meyer said. “There are 50,000 Delawareans that are rent burdened, meaning they pay more than 30% of their income for housing.”

Meyer’s budget spends $85.5 million on Medicaid and sets aside about $22 million to offset potential federal spending cuts. Delaware and other states have seen federal funding freezes since President Donald Trump has taken office, and the members of the state’s congressional delegation say Republicans plan to cut Medicaid spending.

State Rep. Jeffrey Spiegelman, R-Clayton, said he was concerned that creating the new tax brackets would hurt small businesses at a time when the state was facing economic strain.

“I appreciate the governor mentioning that we want to do all of these things for small businesses,” he said. “We want to get regulation out of the way. We want to take a look at some of these land deserts, these properties that can be developed a little easier, make them shovel-ready. And all these things are great. But at the same time, we’re also turning around saying, ‘Hey, small (and) medium manufacturing firms, we’re going to tax you more to pay for these other things.’”

House Minority Leader Tim Dukes, R-Laurel, said there were things about Meyer’s recommended budget he liked, such as money going into classrooms, using Artificial Intelligence as an educational tool, and housing initiatives.

“The question I think that we’re all left with is, how do you pay for it all?” he asked. “That’s where we’re going to have to kind of go back to the drawing board and figure out what our true initiatives are and what we want to get accomplished here in this fiscal year as we’re laying out the budget for 2026.”