The Milton Community Food Pantry will celebrate its 10-year anniversary with a Taste of Milton restaurant competition and fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, at Milton Fire Hall.

Local restaurants and caterers will offer small-plate tastes for guests who will then vote for their favorites. The event will also include a silent auction and cash bar. Participating restaurants and supporters include Irish Eyes, Dogfish Head, Pizza Machine, Po’ Boys, The Nook, Zava Café, Greater Good Events/Children’s Beach House, Teach a Person to Fish Society and Abbott’s Grill.

To purchase tickets or donate, go to miltonpantry.org.

The Milton Community Food Pantry is a nonprofit charitable organization. All proceeds from ticket sales and donations will go toward providing food for distribution to its clients.

The pantry started in June 2014, and the operation has grown during its 10 years of existence to serve clients throughout Sussex and Kent counties. The volunteer-run organization provides food assistance to those in need in local communities. Client families are provided with a variety of fresh produce, frozen meats and shelf-stable items to satisfy their household’s needs. The pantry is dependent on donations and grants from individuals and organizations to meet the nutritional needs of those in crisis. According to Feeding America, 93,000 people are facing hunger in Delaware. That is 1 in 10 people, 1 in 7 children, and 1 in 15 seniors.

With inflation and the discontinuation of pandemic-era programs, the pantry has witnessed a 55% increase in families served so far this year. To succeed in meeting this growing need, pantry organizers have continued to build strong relationships with many Delaware-based foundations, organizations, government programs and businesses. These include Perdue Foundation, Food Lion, Dogfish Head, Matt Haley Trust, Chichester DuPont Foundation, Milton Community Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food Bank of Delaware.