Food Bank's new $34 million Milford center expands storage as well as job skills training

With the new Food Bank of Delaware center in Milford, the nonprofit is embracing the old saying, "If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime."

The $34 million facility not only stores and distributes food for people in need, but also provides job-skills training and a place where people can get help "to address the root of their food insecurity," said Kim Turner, Food Bank of Delaware communications director.

The property at 102 Delaware Veterans Blvd. includes a 67,000-square-foot building, a 3.5-acre garden and a 3,000-square-foot packing house for the garden crops. Funding came from federal programs like the American Rescue Plan Act, state and local governments, foundations, corporations and individuals.

The city offered the 11.5-acre site in the city’s business park for the less-than-market-value price of $465,000.

“The other properties we were looking at were in the millions of dollars,” Turner said.

Construction began in September 2022, and the grand opening was Monday morning, Jan. 15.

Cathy Kanefsky, Food Bank of Delaware president and CEO, said the completion of the new building gives her feelings of hope, pride, humility and gratitude.

“To be part of something that is so big – that will truly make a difference in someone’s life – it’s hard to put into words,” she said. “We named our capital campaign ‘Building Hope’ and that is just what we did. I’m beyond hopeful that more people will wake up tomorrow hopeful. That’s rather powerful.”

The first Milford site opened in 2000 with about 8,000 square feet and expanded to about 16,000 square feet. The Food Bank has sold that property.

“We were bursting at the seams at our former building,” Turner said.

The amount of food distributed in Kent and Sussex counties increased 79% from 2018 to 2022. Turner said the demand was fueled by three main causes: the increase in population in Kent and Sussex counties, the end of extra SNAP assistance (formerly food stamps) that had been given during the pandemic and inflation that was the highest in decades.

The nonprofit’s Glasgow building stored much of the food that was distributed in Kent and Sussex counties. Many deliveries had to go to Glasgow first, then were taken to Milford in amounts that Milford had the space for.

“Now this is much more efficient,” Turner said. “We can handle large deliveries in Milford, and we have room to bring in more fresh produce from farms with the additional refrigerated space.”

Two tractor-trailers with chicken donated by Perdue are part of the first deliveries scheduled.

“We could never handle that before in Milford,” Turner said.

Expanding job skills programs with new café

While the Food Bank offered classes in Milford, they had room for only one class at a time.

Now they have the space for the culinary skills classes, the kitchen school for people with disabilities and a new warehouse logistics class to train people how to work in a warehouse including forklift driving certification.

The culinary students can hone their skills at the new café, open to the public at the new Milford facility Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday for breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

More on job skills courses: 'They want to be here': Delaware culinary program gets adults with disabilities cooking

One of the recent culinary school graduates now working at the café is Bryan Anton.

“This is an opportunity to pursue a passion of mine,” said Anton, who had worked as a delivery driver for an electrical supply company.

His goal is to be a private chef, cooking for people in their homes.

“This is the first job I ever had that coincides with my home life because I like watching cooking shows like ‘Top Chef’ and ‘Hell’s Kitchen.’ When our chefs tell us we’re going to be making a new dish, I’m ready to go. I enjoy it,” he said.

Proceeds from the café go back into the program to provide scholarships for students in the culinary classes.

“No student has to pay,” Turner said, adding that the program receives support from corporate donations, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Social Services and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

In addition to culinary training, the classes teach résumé writing, what to expect at job interviews, conflict resolution and teamwork.

“These are skills that you’re not just going to use at a restaurant but in your day-to-day lives,” Turner said.

Another part of the Food Bank’s plan is to connect people in need with agencies that can offer help with other food programs, health care services, financial coaching and career guidance.

“With our partnerships, we can be a one-stop shop for people,” Turner said.

A person who needs food can stop at the Food Bank and receive help filling out the form to start the process. The new waiting room has couches, tables, chairs and a TV.

After the application process, they go into the pantry, which is set up like a grocery store with shopping carts, and they can select the food they want according to the program’s guidelines for the number of people in their household.

The new building has a larger room for sorting and packing food, where volunteer orientation can be held.

“Before we had one room with a divider, with the volunteers on one side and our culinary classes on the other,” Turner said.

More than half of the facility is dedicated to food storage, with a 35,000-square-foot warehouse and 8,800 square feet of refrigerator and freezer space.

Garden planned to connect nearby nonprofits

A work in progress at the new Milford site is a 3.5-acre garden including greenhouses and an orchard. A 3,000-square-foot building will provide shelter for those packing the fruits and vegetables.

The Food Bank is inviting participants from three nearby sites — the Delaware Veterans Home, Milford Boys & Girls Club and Delaware Hospice — to help and to use the garden.

Turner said the garden paths will be handicapped-accessible, and raised beds will make gardening easier for people in wheelchairs or people who have difficulty bending.

“The garden will be a hub of nonprofit cooperation,” Turner said.

More sources of local produce: As Delaware farmers markets become community events, sales top $4 million for first time

How to donate or volunteer

The Food Bank distributes some food at its centers in Newark and Milford, but mostly through a network of partners including state service centers, community food pantries, schools, churches and other nonprofits.

For information on making a food or monetary donation see the Food Bank’s website or call (302) 294-0185.

To volunteer, see the website, call (302) 393-2011 or email volunteer@fbd.org.

Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate and development news. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Food Bank expands with $34 million Milford center, more job training