COMMENDING THE FOOD BANK OF DELAWARE AND ITS NETWORK OF PROGRAM PARTNERS FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Sen. Wilson on behalf of all Senators & Rep. Osienski & Rep. Romer on behalf of all Representatives

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 79

COMMENDING THE FOOD BANK OF DELAWARE AND ITS NETWORK OF PROGRAM PARTNERS FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

WHEREAS,

on March 26, 1981, a committee incorporated Food Conservers, Inc., which began operating out of a modest basement in the Northeast State Social Service Center in Wilmington, serving 50 member agencies; and

WHEREAS, in 1991 the name of the organization was changed to the Food Bank of Delaware; and

WHEREAS, the Food Bank of Delaware is the largest hunger relief organization in the State of Delaware; and

WHEREAS, the Food Bank of Delaware and its network of partners have been on the front line of ensuring that thousands of Delawareans have access to the food resources they so vitally need; and

WHEREAS, according to Feeding America, currently there are 120,130 Delawareans experiencing food insecurity; and

WHEREAS, in fiscal year 2024, the Food Bank of Delaware and partners distributed 16,322,535 pounds, the equivalent of over 19.5 million meals, of food throughout Delaware, served 40,796 households thorough the Mobile Pantry program, distributed 302,483 meal kits to at-risk youth through the Backpack program, and provided 17,116 supplemental food boxes through the Commodity Supplemental Food program and Palmer Home Foundation; and

WHEREAS, the Food Bank of Delaware began a home delivery program to better serve Delawareans by delivering much needed food assistance to their door and made 17,116 deliveries through a partnerships with Amazon; and

WHEREAS, the Food Bank of Delaware has played a significant role in improving access to and the efficiency of the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly the Food Stamp Program) in Delaware; and

WHEREAS, the Food Bank of Delaware has three workforce development programs – The Culinary School at the Food Bank of Delaware, The Kitchen School at the Food Bank of Delaware and L.O.G.I.C. (Logistics, Operations, General Warehousing, and Inventory Control) – that successfully graduated 105 job ready students in fiscal year 2024; and

WHEREAS, The Kitchen School at the Food Bank of Delaware, the newest workforce development program, is in partnership with the Delaware Restaurant Association offering specialized training to provide employment opportunities in the food and hospitality industries for adults with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, the Food Bank of Delaware is proud of their Specialized Training Employment Program that prepares individuals with disabilities for the workforce by employing them at the Food Bank and assisting with job readiness skills and knowledge; and

WHEREAS, the Food Bank of Delaware is proud to partner with the Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to offer a Summer Culinary Exploration Program that provides training to young adults ages 16-21 with intellectual disabilities and graduated 18 students in fiscal year 2024; and

WHEREAS, the Food Bank of Delaware has had a 5-acre farm in Newark since 2019 and added a 3.5 acre garden in Milford in 2024 that has been producing vegetables throughout the year; and

WHEREAS, in fiscal year 2024 more than 17,990 pounds of produce were harvested and distributed at no cost through the on-site Healthy Pantry Center, sold in the on-site cafe and Glasgow Farmers Market, as well as featured in culinary catering dishes; and

WHEREAS, the Food Bank of Delaware currently employs 114 full time and part-time employees at its Newark and Milford locations; and

WHEREAS, the Food Bank of Delaware cannot do this work alone and has over 740 program partners statewide located at organizations big and small through the State; and

WHEREAS, these program partners consist of food pantries, food closets, mobile pantry locations, backpack distribution sites, and CSFP distribution sites; and

WHEREAS, together the Food Bank of Delaware and their program partners are working together to combat hunger in each of our individual communities; and

WHEREAS,

the Food Bank of Delaware will continue to inspire hope in our communities by providing food to nourish Delawareans, while collaborating on long-term solutions to hunger and poverty.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 153

rd

General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the Food Bank of Delaware is hereby honored for its continued dedication to the health and nourishment of the citizens of Delaware, as well as its endeavors to further expand resources available throughout the State.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Senate Concurrent Resolution be presented to representatives of the Food Bank of Delaware upon its enactment by the General Assembly.

SYNOPSIS

This Senate Concurrent Resolution commends the Food Bank of Delaware for its contributions toward ending hunger and resolving the root causes of poverty in the State of Delaware through its increased statewide impact.

Author: Senator Wilson