“That’s pretty incredible:” Food Bank of Delaware officially opens doors to new Milford facility
MILFORD, Del. – “This facility represents so much more than just a building. It embodies our collective commitment to service others with respect and dignity,” Food Bank of Delaware President/CEO Cathy Kanefsky said. “When you think about this, it’s only been three years. That’s pretty incredible.”
Tuesday, The Food Bank of Delaware officially cut the ribbon to its new $34 million facility in Milford.
VP of External Affairs Chad Johnson said the space will help fulfill a growing need to reach more residents in Kent and Sussex counties. “Going from a 16,000 square foot to a more than 67,000 square foot facility will allow us to make sure we got the warehouse space and cold and frozen storage we need,” he said.
The Food Bank of Delaware believes that increasing their food storage capabilities will help them distribute more than 3.7 million pounds of fresh food.
Classrooms, training spaces like the state-of-the-art kitchen for their culinary program, and an on-site warehouse makes the food bank’s new home a one-stop shop. One of the unique features of the new facility is the Healthy Pantry Center. It allows clients to shop for food items that best suit their families. “The last thing we want is for food to go in the garbage can, so being able to select the items they want will play an important part in having this room take shape and come to life,” Robinson said.
The new facility also creates room for the Logic Training Program to startup in Milford as it was recently only offered in Newark.
Frank Coverdale has been with the food bank for 18 years and keeps locals fed through the mobile pantry service. He told us he’s seen firsthand why this new facility will be life changing for the community. “You have kids who wake up in the mornings and don’t know where their next meal is even coming from,” he said. “This is a real serious thing going on and it feels great.”
The food bank’s mission is to combat food insecurity and officials told us to do that it will take a village. “We need to continue to be able to purchase food and have food come in. We want to make sure the community knows that today isn’t a day to stop” Robinson said.
83,000 pounds of chicken was delivered by Perdue Chicken and stands as the first official donation to the facility.
There’s also space on-site for a community garden that will be used to grow fresh food.
The facility also has a café where the general public can purchase breakfast and lunch. That space will also provide job opportunities for students participating in the Culinary Training Program.
The community is also asked to continue contributing to the food bank’s Buy a Brick and Help Build Hope campaign. For $500, donors can purchase a brick to personalize that will be place in the courtyard area.
