Food Lion customers will get a chance to have a free day at the Delaware State Fair on Monday.
Food Lion, the Delaware State Fair, and the Food Bank of Delaware announced Monday will be the tenth annual “Food Lion Feeds Hunger Relief Day” at the fair.
On Monday, fair attendees who bring five Food Lion brand canned or boxed goods will in exchange receive free admittance to the fair that day.
The Food Bank’s Kim Turner explains the type of food products that are most helpful.
"While we tell people what you typically find in your pantry is what we're looking to get into the hands of those who need it most,” Turner says. “So items like canned fruits, canned vegetables, canned soups, tuna, peanut butter, really your basic household staples are what we're looking to collect on Monday.”
Donations received through this year’s effort will help families in Kent and Sussex Counties who are struggling to put food on the table.
Turner says the donations will help lots of families.
"More than 47,000 residents of Kent and Sussex are considered food insecure. At the height of the pandemic on a statewide level Feeding America estimates that there was more than 140,000 food insecure Delawareans,” says Turner. “Here in 2021 with recovery it's estimated that more than 114,000 of our neighbors will be considered food insecure."
Volunteers from Food Lion and the Food Bank of Delaware will accept donations at all gates, and glass containers will not be accepted.
Turner says before last year, the Food Bank has collected more than 30,000 pounds of food. She hopes to meet that number again this time.
