Food Bank breaks ground on new Milford facility

While work has already started, Food Bank of Delaware officially broke ground on its new $34 million facility off Airport Road in Milford.

The 67,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed in late 2023 and will be a state-of-the art facility complete with cold storage and warehouse space, a 5,000-square-foot volunteer room for workers, classroom and training space, a 3.5-acre garden to grow fresh foods and an on-site café. The Food Bank, which also has a facility in Newark, began the process of building a new facility during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it became apparent the Food Bank had outgrown its current 16,000-square-foot facility on Mattlind Way.

During the Sept. 29 groundbreaking, Food Bank Board Chair Andy Larmore said, “The Food Bank of Delaware has been changing lives for 40 years, and this new facility will change even more lives.”

President and CEO Cathy Kanefsky said the Food Bank has already raised $24 million of the $34 million construction cost, including donations of $365,000 from the Swank Family Foundation and $250,000 from the Perdue Foundation. 

“We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” Kanefsky said. “We do more than just distribute food. We empower people. We give them hope. We are embarking on this amazing journey to transform our community.”

The groundbreaking ceremony drew dignitaries from all around the state, including the council presidents of all three counties. 

Delaware First Spouse Tracey Quillen Carney said, “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.”

Sen. Dave Wilson, R-Lincoln, said, “Today is an exciting day for Milford and the residents of Kent and Sussex counties. The groundbreaking 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.”