Food Bank programs offer food and more to those who strive for more

May 19, 2022

Dover resident, Shamikia, is mom to five children, ranging in age from 7 to 22. Her oldest son is disabled and lives at home with her. Although she is able to work part-time in a child care center she is unable to afford transportation because her paycheck doesn’t stretch far enough to meet her family’s needs.

When she went online looking for options on how to improve her situation, she found the Food Bank of Delaware’s new Economic Mobility program, a new initiative designed to address the root causes of food insecurity: limited employability skills and less than living-wage incomes needed to support a family.

From that outreach, she connected with Barbara, the program’s coordinator.

In addition to getting on the path to learning how to improve her employment opportunities, Shamikia learned that the Food Bank offers home delivery services to qualified residents. She and her family have been receiving a weekly delivery of food – the meal box and backpacks, or weekend meals for school-aged children — right to their front door.

“It’s very helpful and convenient,” she said. “You all have been so helpful. It’s healthy food for my family.”

In the meantime, Shamikia has been meeting with Barbara in a virtual classroom and is learning to create a resume. She wants to improve her credit score and has an appointment with a personal financial counselor through our Stand By Me program – also conducted through private virtual meetings.

Shamikia is also going back to school; she has enrolled in the early childhood education courses at Delaware Tech, and she will use public transportation to attend classes that aren’t offered online.

“I want to be an early childhood center director. I’m very strong willed, and I appreciate all the help.”

To learn more about the new Economic Mobility Program, click here.