Food Bank of Delaware’s Post

Thank you to the Bay Forest community for donating $12,000 and 870 pounds of food from their recent "Fund in the Sun" event! This generous donation will make a significant difference in the lives of those we serve. We are grateful for the kindness and generosity of the Bay Forest community!

Lluvia Mendoza graduated from our 12-week culinary training program, The Kitchen School, in November. The Kitchen School prepares adults with disabilities for careers in the food service industry. Lluvia loves her job at the Concord Mall! She started in February and is proud of how clean she keeps the tables at the mall food court! She greets everyone with a smile and says she loves getting to know the customers. Lluvia turns 23 today (July 16 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) and says this is her first job since graduating from The John G. Leach School. She loved getting to participate in The Kitchen School and made a lot of friends. Way to go, Lluvia! We are so proud of you!

One week until Food Lion Feeds Hunger Relief Day at the Delaware State Fair! Bring 5 Food Lion brand canned or boxed goods to the State Fair on Monday, July 22 and you'll receive one free gate admission! 🎡🎠🎪🥫

Our amazing Bank of America student leaders are off to a great start! These five talented students are among 300 high school juniors, seniors and rising college freshmen from across the country who have been selected to participate in this prestigious internship that connects students to employment and skills/workforce development! They are learning the ins and outs of the Food Bank and helping with a variety of tasks, and we are thrilled to have them. Introducing... Danielle Walters, Haasini Potluri, Ashwika Musku, Rujula Borkar and Raye-Lee McDonald!

Over the past four weeks, seven students participated in our Summer Culinary Exploration Training program in Milford! They got a "taste" of the food service industry to see if this career path is a good fit! They had fun learning basic kitchen skills, going on field trips and sampling new recipes! Today, we celebrated their time with us with a special luncheon! Congratulations to Divine, Andrew, Sean, Carlos, Joshua, Caleb and Marquise!

Know someone who might be interested in learning about our career training programs in culinary arts and warehousing/ logistics? Please share! 📆Tuesday, July 16 ⌚️ 11 AM 📍102 Delaware Veterans Blvd., Milford and 222 Lake Drive, Newark Attendees will get to meet the team and current students! A virtual open house option will also be available on June 30 at 1 p.m. via Zoom! Sign up for in person and online open houses by visiting https://rb.gy/nn4t5l

July is Disability Pride Month. While we are proud that we honor the experiences and contributions of people with disabilities all year long, throughout the month we will spotlight some of our Specialized Training Employment Program (STEP) Associates! Through STEP, we have integrated adults with disabilities into our workforce. STEP Leads provide observation, oversight, and support to the team members to ensure their success! Janelle West graduated from The Kitchen School, a 12-week culinary training program for adults with disabilities, in July 2023, and we are proud that she is now a member of our team! Janelle works in the Milford cafe and some of her duties include making chicken, tuna and egg salads and ensuring that everything is stocked, clean and prepped for the day. Janelle says she loves her job, because she gets to give back to her community, while learning something new every and cooking alongside awesome chefs!

Looking for a way to support our culinary students? Look no further - we have two DELICIOUS ways to get involved this week! 1️⃣ Stop by the Milford cafe tomorrow (Wednesday from 11am-2pm) for our Kitchen School baked potato bar! The students will be serving up loaded baked potatoes and you get to choose all of the toppings! 2️⃣Join our Newark culinary students for Tasty Thursday in the Newark cafe from 11am-2pm! They'll be serving De Kappi Maki (Deconstructed Sushi) - Sesame chicken cucumber rolls with mango salsa

Did you know that July is Disability Pride Month? During the summer we offer a four-week Summer Culinary Exploration training program for teens and young adults with intellectual disabilities. Thank you, Bing’s Bakery, for hosting the students for a hands-on baking and decorating class! They had a great time! 🧁 #disabilitypridemonth #delaware #foodbankofde #baking #culinarytraining #workforcedevelopment