Volunteer Delaware Holds Inaugural Hungry to Help Volunteer Fair

Volunteer Delaware held the first-ever Hungry to Help Volunteer Fair on March 12 at 10 a.m., showcasing volunteer organizations and food truck cuisine.

The March event took place at the Milford High School in Milford, Del. and was able to connect the community and local non-profits with a fun way to enjoy food and fellowship.

Ann Gorrin, Volunteer 50+ Volunteer Services Administrator, helped to brainstorm the idea with Milford, Del. Mayor Bryan Shupe.

“Mayor Bryan Shupe got an idea we needed to increase volunteerism in the greater Milford area and see our community come together,” Gorrin said. “We thought perhaps we can use something creative to get them out, unused spaces in Milford, things people are thinking about.”

According to Gorrin, Councilman Jamie Burk got involved and proposed the idea of bringing people out with food. Gorrin, laughing, says ‘food always works.’

As the group brainstormed, they remembered attending events with food trucks and noted the demographic; adults, children, families…everything they were looking to target.

The event showcase 3 food trucks, feeding people and using that as a draw, as well as more than 30 exhibits for volunteer opportunities. According to Lisa Ignam, Milford City Council member, an upwards of 30 non-profit organizations have committed to the event.

“We are hoping this event is something that takes off in other cities and they can replicate it,” Ignam said. “We thought by bringing all these organizations together, people can browse and shop around…see what they are interested in.”

Ignam says the group promoted the event through their social media platforms as well as word of mouth.

According to both Ignam and Gorrin, the need for an event like this is extremely high.

“There are so many organizations with the need for volunteers, it can be anything from activities families can do together, early in the morning, late at night, over night,” Gorrin said. “There’s always a time and a need to volunteer.”

A few organizations at the event were the Code Purple Shelter in Sussex County, AmeriCorps Programs, ContactLifeline Inc., Delaware Hospice and Milford Housing Development Corporation.

“The best case scenario, what I think Mayor Shupe envisions, is to see the greater Milford area having more camaraderie, more sense of community by achieving volunteerism in the community,” Gorrin said. “When people volunteer, they see community grow, they feel more apart of it.”

To learn more about how you can get involved with volunteerism in Delaware, visit volunteerdelaware.org.