The Food Bank of Delaware is looking for people to help provide fresh food to hungry Delawareans.
Backyard gardeners and even farmers can help the Food Bank this summer by joining its Plant A Row for the Hungry initiative.
“As we head into the summer growing season, we hope that Delawareans will keep the Food Bank of Delaware and our network of pantries in mind when they have surplus produce,” said Food Bank communications director Kim Turner.
She says often times, rows of tomatoes, squash, zucchini and other vegetables go to waste because the backyard gardeners have more than they need to eat, can, or to give to neighbors, family and friends.
Turner says the Food Bank is more than happy to accept that surplus, “We can accept fresh fruits and vegetables. Often times, low-income families have difficulty accessing these foods. So we want to make sure that we provide them with a healthy diet so they can live a healthy lifestyle.”
Turner says fresh produce can be dropped off at the Food Bank’s Milford or Newark warehouses. Both are open weekdays from 8 a.-m. to 4 p.m.
The Food Bank then distributes the produce through its network of 536 hunger relief partners - statewide.
Last year, the Food Bank distributed almost two-million-pounds of produce.
Turner says the program - Plant A Row for the Hungry - started in the mid 1990’s in Alaska when a garden columnist encouraged readers to plant extra to donate to an Anchorage soup kitchen. Since then, the program has been modeled successfully nationwide - including here in Delaware.
