Food Bank of Delaware Receives $75,000 Gift from Barclays to Expand Newark Kitchen and Classroom Space
March 31, 2026
The Food Bank of Delaware announced today a $75,000 donation from Barclays to support the expansion of its culinary training facility at the Newark campus, including the completion of more hands-on kitchen training space and the addition of dedicated classroom space equipped with new computers.
The Food Bank of Delaware relocated to its 80,000-square-foot facility in Newark in 2019. At the time of opening, one kitchen was fully outfitted to meet the immediate needs of the organization’s Culinary School and onsite café and catering operations, while the second space was left unfinished due to funding constraints.
Thanks to support from Barclays, the Food Bank has transformed the open space into a dedicated training space for its growing Kitchen School program. The Kitchen School, developed in partnership with the Delaware Restaurant Association, provides culinary training and job placement opportunities for adults with disabilities.
The expanded kitchen and classroom will support job training and career exploration for 50 students with disabilities a year. Barclay’s overall contributions help support Food Bank of Delaware training programs that provide opportunities in job training and career exploration for close to 200 students annually.
“This investment from Barclays comes at a critical time as we continue to grow our workforce development programs,” said Food Bank of Delaware President and CEO Cathy Kanefsky. “By completing the training space and adding a dedicated classroom, we are creating more opportunities for individuals, especially adults with disabilities enrolled in our Kitchen School, to gain the skills and confidence needed to secure meaningful employment in the food industry.”
“Through our LifeSkills program, Barclays is committed to advancing economic mobility by helping people build the skills, confidence, and real‑world experience they need to get into work,” said Jenn Cho, Head of USCB Citizenship at Barclays US Consumer Bank. “Our partnership with the Food Bank of Delaware reflects that commitment to inclusive growth—from investing in expanded training and classroom space to hiring Food Bank culinary students as interns in our Barclays café. We’re proud to support pathways that connect hands‑on learning to meaningful employment opportunities, particularly for individuals who may face barriers to entering the workforce.”
The upgraded kitchen features multiple modern cooking stations, including countertop induction ranges, stainless steel worktables and industrial-grade mixers. The design of the workstations aligns closely with real-world food service environments, helping ensure graduates are job-ready and competitive in the workforce.
