DELAWARE- Thanks to the power of technology and a smart phone app, people across Delaware can now do their part in helping food insecure individuals across the state.
According to the Food Bank of Delaware, one in ten people face food insecurity in the state. This led a group called 302 Food Rescue Crew to launch a new app that will connect volunteers with food donations for local hunger relief organizations.
302 Food Rescue Crew teamed up with Bayhealth, the Food Bank of Delaware and the American Heart & Stroke Associations to create and launch the app.
This program makes Delaware the first state in the nation to have a statewide food rescue program.
Volunteers can sign up on the 302 Food Rescue app, which is free to download in the app store. They would then be notified when a nearby grocery store or restaurant has food to donate. Volunteers can pick the food up and bring it to a food bank or another pre-determined location.
Delaware Food Bank CEO, Cathy Kanefsky, said partnering with healthcare organizations makes it easier to address people's specific needs.
"We are working really closely with healthcare organizations like Bayhealth and the Heart Association to actually know what kinds of foods people need and put those foods on their table," said Kanefsky. "Someone said to me a couple of weeks ago that we have to get away from giving people what we have and start giving people what they need and what they want."
Bayhealth officials tell us healthcare reaches far beyond the walls of a hospital.
"We see lots of care and compassion within our health system and to be able to connect care and compassion for community members outside of our brick and martyr hospitals or our medical group practices is a tremendous opportunity," said Rosemary Wurster, chief nursing executive at Bayhealth.
Kanefsky said this app will allow people to volunteer when and where they are able.
"This is a way that somebody can be a volunteer every single day and a day that they can't do it then they don't do it," said Kanefsky. "So if anyone has any inkling that they may be interested in helping download the app because it's the easiest way I think we have ever been able to make it to help."
Technology connecting Delawareans together and making sure no one goes hungry in the first state.