Since the pandemic began in 2020, the Food Bank of Delaware has used mobile food pantries to help those in need.
Now, officials say high gas prices and inflation are contributing to a new increase in demand.
The Food Bank serves as many as 3,000 people at its three mobile sites each month.
Hundreds more rely on their food pantries in Newark and Milford.
Communications Director Kim Turner said increases in food and gas prices are causing even more people to turn to the pantry for help.
“Last summer at this time we were looking at 300-500 people. Now we’re looking at between 600-800 households per week.”
Turner said the end of monthly child tax credit payments in 2021 also made an impact.
Since some may not be able to afford the cost of gas to get to the pantry or a mobile site, the Food Bank is partnering with Amazon and DoorDash to offer pantry home delivery services throughout the state.
“For low-income people who are living paycheck to paycheck, or trying to stretch their budget as far as they can, it really is a saving grace to have food delivered to them so they don’t have to use gas money to go out to a community food pantry,” Turner said.
The Food Bank’s mobile food pantry will be in Kent and New Castle Counties this week.
The Kent County pantry is at Dover Motor Speedway Wednesday.
Friday, the mobile pantry is at Delaware Tech's Stanton campus.
Both pantries open at 10:00 a.m.
