Sussex County donates $750K to Food Bank of Delaware
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The grant will used to purchase food for the Food Bank of Delaware’s Milford facility. | PHOTO COURTESY OF FBD
GEORGETOWN – The Food Bank of Delaware received $750,000 from Sussex County for food purchases, utilizing funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.
Sussex County received $45.5 million in federal assistance aimed at COVID-19 pandemic recovery, and the County has since earmarked that funding for a variety of initiatives, including public safety, affordable housing, wastewater infrastructure, low-income services, and other qualifying efforts.
With this award, the County will have allocated and awarded all of its ARPA funds, which must be distributed by the end of this year. County officials said the sizeable donation to the Food Bank of Delaware is possible, in part, as some other previously intended recipients or initiatives no longer needed the ARPA resources. Food insecurity, though, is an ever-present need.
“Sussex County has a long track record of helping those in need, whether that’s through offering tax assistance programs, or with our annual Caroling on The Circle food drive program each holiday season,” Sussex County Council President Michael H. Vincent said. “We are proud to continue those efforts with this award, which will make tremendous strides in supporting the Food Bank of Delaware’s mission to put food on the table and help strengthen our communities.”
The entire grant will be directed to purchasing food items to stock the Food Bank of Delaware’s shelves at its Milford facility and distributed to recipients who live in Sussex County.
Earlier this year, the Food Bank opened its $34 million facility on Delaware Veterans Boulevard which is 70,000 square feet. The decision to build the new facility was prompted by the Food Bank’s determination in 2020 that expansion was crucial to sustain food contributions and community development operations.
The facility will expand cold storage, refrigeration, and freezer capacity by 114%, allowing for the storage and distribution of over 3.7 million additional pounds of fresh foods, including fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meats. The dry storage space will accommodate an extra 6 million pounds of non-perishable food.
