"What we're seeing in the lines of our food closets, soup kitchens, shelters are people who once donated their money, their time, their food are now needing assistance," said Kim Kostos of the Food Bank of Delaware.
Kostos says many of those people used to work at the Chrysler plant in Newark and the Valero refinery in Delaware City. Both have been shut down due to the recession.
"If we add up the dollars that Chrysler and Valero had donated to us in the past two years, it's close to $70,000 and close to 5,000 pounds of food. So, we're definitely feeling that void," said Kostos.
Filling the void now are people like Dan Tolly of Lomberton, New Jersey, who decided to drop off donations while visiting friends.
"If it's tough on you, it's really tough on people who are normally down on their luck. It's a time when you need to dig a little deeper and give a little more," Tolly said.
The Food Bank can only hope there will be more people like Barb Cimino, who works with others who decided to give the gift of food, rather than give each other gifts.
"I think it's an amazing thing to do. That's the spirit of Christmas, to give to others that can afford this time of the year," said Cimino.
Anyone wishing to donate to the Food Bank of Delaware is asked to contact them or stop by:
Food Bank of Delaware
Newark Branch
14 Garfield Way
Newark, DE 19713
Phone: (302) 292-1305
Fax: (302) 292-1309
Website: http://www.fbd.org/
