Local organizations continue fighting food insecurity as students head for holiday break

DELMARVA – “All I know is that whatever the demand is, we will meet it. We will do everything in our power to make sure that the students in Dorchester County have the food they need,” Leslie Bishop said.

That’s Midshore Meals Till Monday’s mission this holiday season, as school closings for winter break leave some students without regularly scheduled meals. Director Leslie Bishop tells us although supply isn’t a problem for them now, it’s a matter of what they can get their hands on.

“For example, instead of sending home peanut butter and jelly we’ll send home tuna because that might be more plentiful,” Bishop said.

Despite those challenges, Bishop says they’re making sure students have at least 2 bags of food sent home with them over break.

In Wicomico County, Adopt-A-Block Outreach is taking a creative approach to getting students fed.

“And what we have done is provide is a flyer with the remind app to be able to give it to the children. Now they can actually text us to let us know when they need food and we can make the deliveries,” Director Mark Thompson.

With food insecurity potentially plaguing households day to day, local organizations say they hope their efforts will relieve families of some of that stress over the holidays. “Which won’t make up for the fact that they have been two weeks without getting breakfast and lunch in school but we want to try and provide them as much as me we possibly can,” Bishop said.

“No one should go hungry during this time. Contact us,” Thompson said.

Both organizations tell me that they don’t see the demand in need going down anytime soon, as students return back in January. Yet they’re ready to serve.

We’re also told they’re not just serving food, as they’re gathering coats and scarves for those in need for the cold weather.