‘Can’t pick go pick up food’: Job leaves no time for pantry visit

June 13, 2022

It’s not at all unusual for working people to need assistance from the Food Bank of Delaware. Consider the cost of housing, of child care, plus gas, and the escalating cost of food at the grocery store. In addition, many working folks can’t leave the job site to pick up food at one of our mobile pantries or pantry centers.

Jenn, a Bear- area mom, is one of those people. After learning about our home delivery service from a Facebook page called Buy Nothing in Bear, she registered. Now while she’s working in a warehouse, Amazon delivers a weekly box of non-perishable foods to her door. In addition, her 8-year-old daughter gets a weekly backpack meal kit – our weekend meal program for students.

“I work full-time,” she said, adding that the physical requirements of her job create an additional stress: she fractured both elbows a couple of years ago.

The food she receives supplements what she’s able to afford at the grocery store. “Now that’s not as much, but it all works out pretty well,” Jenn said.

The Food Bank has partnered with Amazon and Door Dash to provide delivery to qualified Delawareans. The Amazon home delivery program is intended for Delawareans without transportation or for those who are unable to leave their home to visit local food pantries. Deliveries can occur each week. Non-perishable food boxes are delivered by Amazon and Amazon Flex drivers. To learn more about home delivery programming at the Food Bank of Delaware, click here.