Food Bank starts Thanksgiving drive, adds virtual way to participate

Thanksgiving is coming and the Food Bank of Delaware plans to make it easier than ever to donate food and meals to families in need — without even leaving the comfort of your home.

The organization’s annual Thanksgiving food drive will be held in a hybrid fashion with opportunities for both virtual and in-person food drives.

But how can a food drive be virtual? 

It’s simple, says the food bank. By taking advantage of the group’s wholesale purchasing power and efficient distribution model, food donations through the virtual food drive are stretched even further. 

For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can provide three meals to Delawareans in need.

“Far too many families in our community struggle to make ends meet,” said Food Bank of Delaware president and CEO Cathy Kanefsky. “No family deserves to go without a hot holiday meal.”

Nevertheless, more than 114,000 Delawareans go hungry each year, according to Feeding America, a national nonprofit focused on ending food insecurity. 

One out of every six children in Delaware faces hunger, the group says. 

Individuals, families and organizations can help ensure every Delawarean has a hot Thanksgiving meal by creating a personalized virtual food drive page and inviting friends, family or coworkers to donate.

The virtual food drive mirrors an online shopping experience where shoppers can select food items and place them in a shopping cart to check out and make a secure tax-deductible donation to the Food Bank.

Those who want to stick to the old-fashioned style of food drive still can, according to the food bank. 

Collection barrels can be picked up from the Food Bank of Delaware in Newark at 222 Lake Drive or Milford at 1040 Mattlind Way. (You can use your own donation boxes, too.) 

Contact-free donation zones have been set up at both the Newark and Milford facilities. 

Newark donors may drop off nonperishable donations to collection boxes set up under the food bank barn on the far side of the front parking lot, and Milford donors may drop off to the collection box by the door marked donations and agency pick-ups. 

To ensure donations can be distributed in time for Thanksgiving, the food bank asks they be delivered by Thursday, November 11. Items delivered after that date will be distributed through the remainder of the holiday season.

The most needed holiday items include:

• Applesauce
• Cranberry sauce
• Oatmeal
• Cold cereals
• Pudding mix
• Canned pumpkin
• Graham cracker pie crust
• Canned gravy
• Rice
• Macaroni and cheese
• Mashed potatoes
• Stuffing
• Hearty soups
• Corn muffin mix
• Canned sweet potatoes and yams
• Canned peas and green beans
• 100% fruit juice
• Hot chocolate
• Coffee and tea
• Evaporated milk
• Turkey pans
• Frozen turkeys (must be dropped off at Newark or Milford warehouses)

To learn more about the Food Bank of Delaware and its Thanksgiving food drive, go here.

Is your organization collecting food, clothing or toys for the holidays? If so, please send information about it with the name and number of a contact person to [email protected] and we’ll add it to a list of organizations doing holiday drives.