Food Bank of Delaware breaks ground on new 67,000-square-foot facility in Milford

September 29, 2022

The Food Bank of Delaware officially broke ground this morning on a new 67,000-square-foot facility in Milford. The facility will replace the current 16,000-square-foot Milford branch on Mattlind Way.

Thanks to an initial $365,000 donation from the Swank Family Foundation, the Food Bank of Delaware purchased 11.5 acres from the city of Milford in July 2021 to build the new facility. Construction of the new facility is anticipated to cost approximately $34 million and take 14 months.

“This is a great day for Delaware,” said Food Bank of Delaware President and CEO Cathy Kanefsky. “The pandemic magnified what we already knew – the Milford Branch is operating significantly beyond capacity, and as a result we are renting space. We cannot effectively serve our community’s most vulnerable in our current building on Mattlind Way. This campaign is more than bricks and mortar… it’s about building hope for a better tomorrow. So many come to the Food Bank of Delaware feeling hopeless, but leave hopeful. We are transforming lives.”

The new facility will enable the Food Bank of Delaware to:

• Expand cold storage and warehouse space to distribute an additional 3.7 million pounds of fresh foods and 6 million pounds of nonperishable food;
• Create dedicated space for a Healthy Pantry Center to directly serve those in need of food assistance;
• Construct a 5,000-square-foot volunteer room that includes orientation space and a safe, welcoming working environment;
• Create classroom and hands-on training space for training programs in culinary and warehousing/logistics;
• Plant a 3.5-acre garden to grow fresh foods for Delawareans in need and provide a tranquil spot for residents of the neighboring Delaware Veterans Home;
• Open an on-site café to provide employment and additional training opportunities to graduates of the culinary training program, while providing a place for members of the public to buy breakfast and lunch.

The organization also announced this morning that it has to raise $10 million more to fund the construction project. To date, $24 million has been secured through a combination of sources including government entities, foundations, corporations and individuals.

“The Food Bank of Delaware is a shining example of what a culture of improvement looks like, not just getting bigger, but getting better — adapting, innovating — while always keeping it human,” said First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney.

“Today is an exciting day for Milford and the residents of Kent and Sussex counties,” said State Senator Dave Wilson. “The ground breaking ceremony today for the new state-of-the-art Food Bank of Delaware will bring our community one step closer to bringing food insecurity to an end. I look forward to the great things to come from this new project and the Food Bank of Delaware.”

Once operational, the new facility will improve the Food Bank of Delaware’s statewide efforts to distribute food to those in need. To learn more about the campaign to build a new Food Bank of Delaware in Milford or to make a donation, visit www.fbd.org/hopeinmilford.