Update: Food Aid Cancelled

March 24, 2025

Dear Food Bank of Delaware Supporters,

You may have heard recent national news outlets reporting the halting of scheduled shipments of vital food aid to food banks across the country. Since this story last week, 19 shipments scheduled to be delivered to the Food Bank of Delaware between April-July 2025 have been cancelled. This equates to almost 900,000 meals.

This disruption couldn’t come at a worse time. Rising food prices and persistent economic hardships continue to drive demand for services across the state.

The USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) has long been a lifeline for food banks, supplying essential items like fresh produce, dairy, protein and shelf-stable items. For years, we’ve been steadfast partners with the USDA and without their support we cannot fulfill our mission of feeding Delawareans struggling with food insecurity.

In February alone, more than 50 percent of the food we received came from USDA. Now, with some shipments cancelled, we are left with few options to replace these resources. Our partner agencies, many run by volunteers, count on this food to meet the needs of their communities. Without immediate action, the consequences for our most vulnerable neighbors could be devastating.

We, along with local government, corporate partners and the Feeding America network, are actively working to address this challenge.

We remain committed to our mission of fighting food insecurity, but we cannot do it alone. Your support is more critical now than ever. Please help us continue to feed our neighbors across Delaware.

Gratefully,

Cathy Kanefsky
President and CEO
Food Bank of Delaware

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