Thanksgiving For All benefits thousands of Delaware families

December 2, 2016

By Gwen Guerke, Communications Coordinator

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, Chesapeake Utilities, Bank of America First State Orthopedics, Communities in Schools, Palmer Home Foundation, Giant Food, Dover Police Department, DART First State, iHeartRadio and Trinity Transport, coupled with donations from schools, businesses, civic organizations and other local donors, the Food Bank of Delaware was able to provide 2,528 Delaware families with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

We call this program “Thanksgiving For All.”

Through coordinated efforts, the program distributed 157,071 pounds of food statewide.

Each family received a dinner box that included a frozen turkey, plus all the trimmings including mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, vegetables and makings for a pumpkin pie.

The Food Bank of Delaware reaches out to food-insecure Delawareans through a network of 575 hunger-relief partners, such as churches, community organizations, and non-profit agencies that provide free food assistance to people in need.

In the first few weeks of November, five mobile pantries were held at local organizations. Qualified individuals were identified and encouraged to sign up for the Thanksgiving meal box. Volunteers from Chesapeake Utilities helped pack all of the boxes and distributed in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

On Friday, November 18, 62 community organizations picked up meal boxes for distribution to families in need. Community volunteers were on hand to help load meal boxes, turkeys, bananas, eggs and more.

Among the recipients were 898 senior citizens (age 60 and above) who had signed up for the Thanksgiving meal through the mobile pantry and the partner distribution.

Food Bank of Delaware’s Program Director Charlotte McGarry says she this year’s Thanksgiving for All was a success.

“We have received great feedback from several partners thanking us for not only the opportunity to assist their families, but also the quality of the product and service received,” she said.