Cape Henlopen Food Basket: no reason for anyone to go hungry

Anyone who doubts the generosity of the local community, or the productivity of this nation, need only talk to folks at the Cape Henlopen Food Basket. Each week, the all-volunteer organization gives out dozens of bags of food to people living in the Cape Henlopen School District experiencing some kind of emergency.

Much of the food, including frozen meat and fish, is donated by local grocery stores - Weis, Giant and Safeway - or restaurants with bakeries that have daily surpluses of bread, bagels and rolls. This time of year, farmers involved with the Rehoboth Beach Farmers Market on Tuesdays also provide quantities of fresh vegetables, fruit and other items. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture also provides a significant share.

What isn't donated is purchased from Dollar Tree or Save-A-Lot in Georgetown. "We have a list of 350 to 400 individuals, organizations and businesses who send us cash donations to help keep us going," said Jon DeVoll, president of the food basket board. "And though we're associated with the Lewes-Rehoboth Association of Churches, and we're in their budget for monthly assistance if we come up short, we haven't had to ask for that for the past four years. People here are very generous."

Jennie Hansen, who coordinates the efforts of the volunteers who pick up food from many different sources, said 40 percent of the food they distribute comes from the ag department. The USDA has a major distribution facility in Delaware City where canned, boxed and other nonperishable foods make their way to community food pantries throughout the Delmarva Peninsula.

"The food production ability of this nation is amazing," said Hansen. "There's no reason why any person - except those held back by false pride - ever has to be hungry."

DeVoll said most of the people who come for food are what he would classify as the working poor. "Because they have had an emergency car repair, a roof leak, or unforeseen sickness, and have no money left for food, they come to us. They're not just people on the dole as some would like to think. Ninety percent of those who come to us are legitimate."

Hansen said the other 10 percent get food anyway. "There's often no way for us to know so we don't turn people away.

"There's often no way for us to know, so we don't turn people away. And even though we only serve people living in Cape Henlopen School District, we still give out smaller, emergency bags of food to out-of-district people and give them addresses and phone numbers for where they can go to get longer-term assistance."

She said many of those who come in are grandparents who have their resources pinched because they're raising grandchildren they didn't expect to be raising.

Those who qualify for assistance receive two full bags with enough food to feed them and their family for two weeks - three if they stretch it out. They are permitted to come to the basket no more than three times in a three-month period. Beyond that, they are referred to state social services. "We ask very few questions," said Hansen. "We ask for photo ID and other basic information, but we're not trying to turn people away."

The bags of food they distribute contain set quantities and types of food including canned fruits and vegetables, pork and beans, noodles, soup, spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, peanut butter and jelly, bread, vouchers for eggs and milk from Safeway, canned salmon, stews, chili and ravioli.

"We try to keep it balanced," she said.

A bit of history

Cape Henlopen Food Basket started out as an initiative of Lewes-Rehoboth Association of Churches in 2002. It was housed in space at the state's senior citizen housing in Huling Cove in Lewes.

It then expanded into space next to LRAC's thrift shop behind Jiffy Lube on Route 1. Now it is located in one-third of LRAC's Community Resource Center on Oyster House Road just west of Rehoboth Beach.

The association provides the space for the basket at no cost.

DeVoll estimates they distribute to about 200 families each month in the winter, 150 in the summer.

"That number is actually down from the 240 we were averaging in the winter six or seven years ago. That's a good thing. Maybe it's an improving economy."

Hansen and DeVoll remember working with Mary Broadhurst in Lewes in the early days of the food basket. "Mary was the spark in the beginning," said Hansen.

"I worked with her in the planning stages and then stayed involved. It's something I wanted to do, like most of the retired people who are our volunteers. They want to do something in their retirement and they're very good about meeting their commitments. I like doing things with food to help people.

"A few years ago I started a Saturday morning free breakfast at Groome United Methodist Church. Now we're getting anywhere from 30 to 50 people a week for that."

DeVoll said he and his wife, Pat, were looking for something to do when they retired to the area in 2001. Promotion comes quickly in a volunteer organization. He's been president now for the past several years.

"It's very fulfilling," he said. "Give back is the name of the game."