Drive-through pantry makes a big difference for family of three

December 14, 2021

Newark resident, Melissa, certainly didn’t anticipate having to reach out for assistance after she lost her customer service job in August. But she’s been able to find a new job. The 35-year-old mom of two teenagers discovered help while searching online; she registered for one of the Food Bank of Delaware’s drive-through pantries. “I guess I’ve been to two of them now,” she said, adding that she is registered to go again on Friday.

“It’s been tremendously helpful, especially around the holidays,” Melissa said. Fortunately, she’s able to cook and prepare meals for her family. She’s also shared information about the Food Bank’s drive-through pantries with another family member in need. Meanwhile, Melissa is continuing her search for new employment.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Food Bank of Delaware has held 55 of these large-scale drive-thru food pantries in each county. The pantries have received more than 60,000 visits with more than 2.3 million pounds of food being distributed to the community.

The pantries would not be possible without the support of the team at the Delaware Department of Transportation who handle logistics and traffic control and committed volunteers who help distribute food to families.

The next pantries will be held on Wednesday, December 15 at Dover International Speedway and Friday, December 17 at Delaware Tech in Stanton. To sign up online for a drive-thru food pantry, please click here.