Two Donation Drives to Benefit Food Bank of Delaware – April 1st & 3rd

March 30, 2025/Mari Lou

Next week members of the Delaware Democratic Caucus will hold donation drives to benefit the Food Bank of Delaware. Officials say the Food Bank of Delaware is facing cuts coming from the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program because of Trump Administration cuts to the USDA. Officials estimate Delaware will see the cancellation of about 750,000 pounds of food expected to be delivered to the Food Bank of Delaware between April and July. Two donation drives will be held – one upstate in the Newark-area on Tuesday, April 1st – the other at the Food Bank of Delaware’s Milford location on Thursday, April 3rd from 6 to 8pm.

Additional information from the DE Democratic Caucus release:

On Tuesday, April 1st, Newark-area members of the Delaware House Democrats will be teaming up with the Food Bank of Delaware to host a donation drive and raise awareness of the recent severe cut to their food supply. 
 
Milford-area state senators will hold a similar donation drive at the Food Bank’s Milford location on Thursday, April 3 from 6-8 p.m.
 
More than 50% of the food distributed by the Food Bank of Delaware in February came from the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). It supplies essential items to food banks across the country, such as fresh produce, dairy, protein and shelf-stable items. 
 
The Trump Administration’s cuts to the USDA have resulted in the cancellation of 750,000 pounds of food, equating to about 900,000 meals, meant to be delivered to the Food Bank of Delaware between April and July 2025. 
 
“One in 8 Delawareans is food insecure. And in recent months, rising costs have led to an increased demand for the Food Bank of Delaware’s services. As a regular volunteer at the Food Bank, I have seen this with my own eyes,” said Rep. Eric Morrison, the event’s organizer.
 
“Without the regular support from the USDA that they rely on, the Food Bank will not be able to feed all of the Delawareans in need. That is just a fact. Now is the time that we must band together and do what we can to assist the Food Bank and our neighbors in need. Whether you can donate food, money, or your time – anything and everything helps right now.”

The elected officials will be volunteering at the Food Bank Tuesday evening, and invite members of the public to take the opportunity to drop off some of the Food Bank’s most-needed food items. These include hot and cold cereals, peanut butter, canned fruits, canned meats, canned vegetables, and rice/pasta.
 
“We are a state of neighbors here in Delaware. During challenging times, we always work together to help meet the needs of our community. The support of our community is needed now more than ever,” said Food Bank of Delaware President and CEO Cathy Kanefsky.
 
 “Our primary goal remains to meet the needs of our neighbors facing food insecurity. People are relying on us. Despite the uncertainty, we will continue to do what we have always done – serve our community.”
 
For those who are unable to donate food items, the Food Bank of Delaware also accepts financial donations. The Food Bank also accepts food donations at their Newark and Milford locations Monday through Friday during drop off hours. 
 
For more information on how to donate to or volunteer with the Food Bank of Delaware, visit www.fbd.org/get-involved/. 
 
Delaware Senator Chris Coons is also looking for additional information on USDA cancellation of Emergency Food Assistance: 

U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and 24 of their colleagues demanded more information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture about the cancellation of previously approved emergency food assistance funding for food banks and other emergency food providers. The administration has canceled at least 900,000 meals for the Food Bank of Delaware, harming our hungry neighbors already facing high grocery prices and as well as American farmers who are being squeezed by tariffs and other cuts to domestic markets.

“We write regarding the reported cancellation of hundreds of millions of dollars in previously approved funding for food banks and other emergency food providers through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP),” the senators wrote. “A cancellation of these funds could result in $500 million in lost food provisions to feed millions of Americans at a time when the need for food shelves is extremely high due to costly groceries and an uncertain economy.” 

“If true, this major shift in a program utilized by emergency food providers in every state in the nation will have a significant and damaging impact upon millions of people who depend upon this program for critical food assistance,” the senators continued. “In addition, this program consists of purchases of U.S. commodities at a time when America’s growers and producers are struggling due to tariffs, proposed tariffs, animal disease and many other challenges.”

In addition to Senators Coons and Klobuchar, the letter was signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Angus King (I-Maine), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).

The full letter is available here 

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