Volunteering at the Food Bank of Delaware

October 20, 2015

How many meals do you eat a day? Is that seven days a week? Most days, don’t you have a snack, or two? So, if you answers are three, yes, and of course, then you’re not living with food insecurity. Count yourself as fortunate!

When I tell people I work at the Food Bank of Delaware, the most common response is: “Oh, I’d love to volunteer there. When you do need help?”

Without being sarcastic, I try to say: We need help every day. There’s always something for volunteer hands to do, and not just at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Did you know, for example, that one in every five children in Delaware lives in poverty? And poverty exists everywhere, even behind the scenes of wealthy resort communities.

How can you help? How do you volunteer? Sign up online at http://www.fbd.volunteerhub.com. Early-morning volunteers are especially needed at the Milford Branch! And we are excited to announce that we have just added Monday and Tuesday evening shifts and a shift every other Saturday at the Milford Branch.

The bottom line is we offer opportunities for almost everybody. Did you know, for example, that high school students can earn a Delaware Volunteer Credit toward graduation by donating 90 hours of volunteer service during their high school career?

Volunteers, either individuals or organizations, assist by sorting and packing food donations, preparing and packing meals for children, creating meal boxes for families and seniors, helping with clerical tasks and other needed projects.

Volunteers are the heart and soul of the Food Bank of Delaware. Last year, we had 19,009 volunteer visits between our Newark and Milford sites. These volunteers donated 51,111 hours, or nearly the equivalent to 25 full-time staff members.

Please join us in our mission to eliminate hunger here in Delaware.

Learn more at http://www.fbd.org/get-involved/.

By Gwen Guerke, Communications Coordinator