Chesapeake Utilities donates $26,500; crews build 1,000 Thanksgiving boxes

November 10, 2015

By Gwen Guerke, Communications Coordinator

When we say Thanksgiving for All, that’s what we mean. All.

The behind-the-scenes work to make that happen is something to behold; many helping hands pitch in by packing, sorting, stocking, transporting . . . these volunteers make Santa’s elves look somewhat amateurish.

On Monday, a crew of about 35 volunteers from Chesapeake Utilities came out and packed boxes full of applesauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, shelf-stable milk and biscuit mix for distributions that will be held later this week and early next week throughout Kent and Sussex counties.

Frozen turkeys will be added as the meals go into the hands of hungry Delawareans.

In addition to packing boxes, the utility company also presented Food Bank of Delaware President and CEO Patricia Beebe and Milford Branch Director Chad Robinson with a check for $26,500 to help cover the costs of these Thanksgiving meals for Delawareans in need.

Chesapeake Utilities distributes natural gas to approximately 53,800 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Delaware and Maryland. Among the volunteers was the company’s CEO Mike McMasters.

This group was not only enthusiastic, but also industrious because they built 12 and a half pallets of boxes in just over an hour.

Lyndsay, our volunteer coordinator, got them started in an organized fashion. The efficient system begins by stocking tables, assigning one person per job/ item, and then the work is underway. Some volunteers agreed to assemble cardboard boxes, while others had to track the boxes as they moved off the assembly line and onto the pallet.

Other teams from Chesapeake Utilities will be at the Milford site on Tuesday and Wednesday to complete the task of filling 1,000 boxes.

The job must be done in time for the first mobile pantry where 300 families will receive these boxes at Calvary Assembly of God in Dover on Thursday morning. Other distribution sites will be in Dover, Harrington and Long Neck.

“This is really so much more than a check,” Chad Robinson, Milford branch manager told these volunteers. “This shows there are companies out there that really care.”

For more information on how to volunteer at the Food Bank of Delaware or about the Food Bank’s outreach throughout the year, visit www.fbd.org.