Shortly after the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, the Food Bank of Delaware’s Healthy Pantry in Newark converted to a drive-up only operation.
Now, the pantry has gotten a facelift and is open again for in-person visits.
The Food Bank’s Kim Turner says the pantry served about 100 people a day in its drive-up form. Now that it’s open for in-person visits, those people will see several benefits.
“Previously, they would drive up to the food bank, a volunteer would bring out a cart, but now they can actually come inside the building and select the foods that are best suited for their household," she said.
In addition to re-opening for in-person shopping, the pantry has also been redesigned to give patrons more of a grocery store experience.
“We have walk-in refrigeration, similar to what you would see at your local grocery store where people can open the door and select their jug of milk or frozen products, produce, they push a cart up and down the aisle," Turner said. "For us it's a lot more welcoming to people.”
Making the pantry a welcoming, dignified experience was an important part of the renovation.
“Just because somebody is having economic struggles doesn't mean they shouldn't experience what you or I might experience when we go to the grocery store or that they should be treated lesser than others because of their current economic situation," Turner said.
The pantry is open by appointment only to reduce wait times. Appointments can be booked at the Food Bank's website.
Funding for the changes to the Healthy Pantry came from American Rescue Plan Act funding, while Acme Markets made a donation of food to stock the pantry’s shelves.
