NEW CASTLE, Del. – Last week, the Delaware National Guard assisted the Food Bank of Delaware during drive-thru mobile pantries at locations across the First State.
About 25 Delaware guardsmen joined hundreds of food bank volunteers April 20, 22, and 24, distributing much-needed pantry items to help address the increased demand for food assistance amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Thousands of Delawareans in cars, trucks, minivans, SUVs – and some by foot, bicycle, and motorized scooter – maneuvered through the lanes during last week’s three drive-thru events.
“These are our citizens. These are our families, our friends, our neighbors,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Berry, adjutant general of the Delaware National Guard. “Our citizen soldiers and airmen are coming here from within Delaware – and surrounding states – to do these types of missions, and certainly, they’re going to have a great perspective in helping the folks that are here to get some assistance because they know them.”
The food bank-sponsored mobile pantries, which featured items such as apples, cereal, cheese, chicken, milk, oranges, and canned goods, took place at Christiana Mall in Newark, Dover International Speedway in Dover, and Sussex Central High School in Georgetown.
In total, for three days, the guardsmen and volunteers distributed 279,299 pounds of consumables to 5,935 households, according to the Newark-headquartered food bank.
No stranger to the mission for a hunger-free community, the Delaware National Guard has maintained a robust partnership with the Food Bank of Delaware for about 15 years.
The guard organization’s “War on Hunger,” a year-round campaign across the state, has collected hundreds of thousands of pounds of food items, and its members have accrued countless volunteer hours at food bank locations and public events.
For information about the Food Bank of Delaware and its programs, visit www.fbd.org. For more about the Delaware National Guard and its state and federal missions, visit www.de.ng.mil.
Date Taken: | 05.01.2020 |
Date Posted: | 05.01.2020 13:21 |
Story ID: | 369009 |
Location: | NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE, US |
Web Views: | 97 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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