First State Community Action and La Esperanza collaborate

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated a challenge that existed for many long before the pandemic swept the nation – food insecurity. As unemployment continues to climb in Delaware, food pantries across the region have seen a sharp increase in the number of families seeking assistance. The Food Bank of Delaware, school districts, state and local governments, nonprofits, large and small businesses, and community members have banded together and organized phenomenal large-scale, drive-through food distribution events and community-based food distribution models that have fed thousands of Delawareans.

As successful as these efforts have been, there are community members who can’t access them. Individuals without transportation, or those who have been quarantined due to COVID-19 exposure aren’t able to get to these sites for help.

First State Community Action Agency and La Esperanza quickly identified this gap in service but neither had the capacity to meet the need alone. The organizations are working together serving some of Delaware’s most vulnerable communities, and this was a new challenge.

Through quick, innovative thinking, the organizations decided to join forces to ensure that these individuals have access to healthy foods and household items. First State, a Food Bank of Delaware partner, houses a full-service food pantry and provides supplies to be delivered by La Esperanza to clients not able to access community-based food distribution sites. Dozens of families have received food, water, hygiene kits, and household items as a result of this partnership.

COVID-19 has challenged nonprofits to be innovative, fluid, and quick-thinking. Collaborations like this will ensure that the social safety net systems weather the storm this pandemic has created, and that the most vulnerable community members do not fall through the cracks.

Community Action founder Lyndon B. Johnson said, “There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.”