GEORGETOWN, Del. - The Food Bank of Delaware hosted a drive-thru mobile pantry in response to inflation and end of pandemic-era emergency SNAP benefits.
Hundreds of cars lined up today in Georgetown for some extra help.
The Food bank of Delaware hosting the first of three big drive-thru food giveaways this week in the first state. Between inflation and the end of the pandemic-era emergency snap benefits, there are plenty of people in need.
Chad Robinson with the Food Bank of Delaware says the end of extra help with the SNAP benefits has hurt people dramatically and the large amount of people at todays event was not surprising.
Robinson says, "We know how real hunger and food insecurity is. We know how many our friends and neighbors deal with this every day. So not a surprise for us, but certainly this month, particularly as those emergency allotment‘s have ended, we know that that has a dramatic impact.
Robinson added, "The high cost of food and a high cost of goods in general right now, just leave folks in a position where they're deciding between buying food or finding medicine. Buying food or putting gas in the car. Eating less themselves so they can have food for their children."
But for some in line today, they were surprised with the amount but understood why.
"I didn't think it was going to be anywhere near this many. There's a huge crowd here. There is many people in Delaware that need this kind of stuff," says Same Veit. He went on to say, "They have to have something like this, because the prices and everything with the inflation is terrible. I mean I have eight people in my house and it's very hard to feed everybody.
And others in similar situations were grateful.
"This is really nice to have for us. We had to catch our mortgage up so it put us in a bind this month. I think this is just wonderful to have this type of event," says Ann Aranda.
Families in need, filling their pantries in Delaware.
There will be 2 more drive-thru pantries this week with the food bank of Delaware. Wednesday in Dover at the Speedway and Friday in New Castle County.
