If you’re looking for food banks in Delaware, we’ve featured 10 below for your convenience.
1. LCS Food Pantry at St. Stephen’s
Located in Wilmington, the Food Pantry at St. Stephen’s is the largest food pantry run by the Lutheran Community in the state of Delaware. They provide pre-packed bags including three days of emergency food provisions for up to 1,000 families each month. Visitors must pre-register during open hours and can visit the pantry once per week. Fresh produce is available from the pantry every other Wednesday evening.
The Food Pantry at St. Stephen’s relies entirely on volunteers to run the basic operations, such as stocking shelves and packing distribution bags. Email them to register your interest. You can also donate items such as cereals and baby foods by dropping them off at the pantry during open hours or donate money online. Contact the pantry using any of the methods at the top of their webpage if you have any questions or need more details.
2. Greenbank Church of Christ Food Pantry
Also located in Wilmington, the Greenback Church of Christ Food Pantry began in 2012 as Cedars Food Pantry, expanding from serving less than 10 people to more than 100 families each Thursday night. The pre-packed food bags provide each household who pre-registers with a monthly allotment which includes three days’ worth of meals to feed the whole family.
Volunteers are essential to the pantry’s operations, as are monetary and item donations. You can donate or ask any other questions by contacting the church directly online.
3. Saint Patrick’s Center
Originally opened in 1971 as a senior center, the Saint Patrick’s Center in Wilmington has grown into a whole community center, offering those in need with multiple options to help alleviate food poverty and insecurity: a monthly nutrition and supplemental food program specifically for seniors; an emergency food distribution for individuals and families with three days’ worth of food; a produce distribution service three times a week; and a hot breakfast service every weekday.
You can donate to the Saint Patrick’s Center via this site, or register to volunteer to help at this site. If you have any questions or want to find out if you are eligible to receive a food box, contact them here.
4. Casa San Francisco
Located in nearby Milton, Casa San Francisco helps provide emergency and supplemental food items to needy individuals and families from Sussex County. The Food Cooperative element of Casa San Francisco provides a discounted grocery bag of healthy foods each month. The Emergency Food Pantry is open 7 days a week to distribute pre-packaged bags of three-four days of groceries for families and individuals who have no food and no funds to purchase them otherwise.
Click here to donate money or email them to volunteer or donate nonperishable items such as canned or dried goods, condiments, or instant drinks and breakfasts. You can contact them for more information or if you have any other questions about their food distribution services.
5. Milton Community Food Pantry
Also located in Milton, the Milton Community Food Pantry opened in 2014 to provide up to 85 local families with emergency food rations in times of great need. Every other Monday morning, eligible visitors can collect a pre-packaged food bag containing enough food for each family to have three meals over three days.
The pantry also accepts food item donations on Sunday mornings and during normal distribution hours. You can even donate money online to help the pantry in their mission to help the low-income families of Milton and surrounding areas. Contact them if you’d like to become a volunteer or need more information.
6. Cape Henlopen Food Basket
Since 2002, Cape Henlopen Food Basket in Rehoboth Beach provides emergency food rations to any Delaware resident who visits the pantry. Three days each week, visitors are given a pre-packaged food bag containing 10 days’ worth of canned, frozen, and fresh produce, meats, and breads. Also included is a local grocery store coupon to help purchase perishable dairy, meat, and egg items.
Check here to find out how to donate food or money to the Cape Henlopen Food Basket. If you’d like to volunteer, ring them at the phone number found here. For any other information, contact them via phone or email found here.
7. Community Resource Center Food Rescue Program
The Community Resource Center (CRC) Food Rescue Program in Rehoboth Beach opens every weekday morning to help feed needy families who don’t have enough funds to feed their families each week. Food items include fresh produce, meats, dairy, as well as packaged items and dried goods.
What makes the CRC Food Rescue Program different than other food pantries is that it uses surplus food and items from local restaurants and grocery stores that would have otherwise been sent to the landfill. They also accept community donations of food items via a scheduled drop-off; you can also donate money or volunteer your time to support the program. Contact them for more information about the program or how you can help.
8. Lake Forest Church Association Food Pantry
Lake Forest Church Association in Harrington opens their food pantry on Tuesday and Thursday mornings each week to provide eligible individuals and families residing within Kent County with a week’s worth of food each month. Those in need must contact the pantry ahead of time to register and set up an appointment to collect their pre-packed food bags.
The food pantry is always in need of volunteers during distribution hours, as well as Wednesday mornings to collect donations and stock the pantry. You can register your interest following the instructions found here. If you’d like to donate money or items to the food pantry, or if you have any other questions, contact the church using one of the methods listed here.
9. Claymont Community Center
The food closet at Claymont Community Center in Claymont, DE, provides once monthly supplemental food bags to those suffering from food poverty and insecurity. Each Wednesday eligible residents of New Castle County can attend an appointment to collect their grocery bag of nutritious fresh, frozen, and nonperishable foods. Where there is an emergency need outside these distribution times, eligible families and individuals can collect three to four days’ worth of food items by contacting the Claymont Community Center whenever the Center is open.
You can drop off any of these needed food items at the main reception desk of the center anytime Monday to Friday from 8am-8pm. You can also donate money directly via PayPal or volunteer to help around the center by applying here. Contact them for more details.
10. Alpha Worship Center Pantry of Hope
Located in Bear, Delaware, Alpha Worship Center’s (AWC) Pantry of Hope opened in 1999 to serve as an emergency food pantry for individuals and families suffering from food poverty. They take referrals from all over Delaware, not just the local community or county, and provides those referred to them with a box packed with enough nutritious food to last a family for three or four days.
You can also self-referral by emailing or calling the distribution center. If you want to donate or volunteer, contact the AWC Pantry of Hope here to find out how.
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