School Pantries

The Food Pantry Program is here to serve the Colonial Community which includes staff members, students and their families.  Individuals and families who are eligible for the food pantry also qualify or are enrolled in SNAP (aka food stamps), WIC, TANF or experiencing financial hardship.

Colonial School District families that have children in our district schools, who are in need of food assistance or would like information about specific services available, please contact the corresponding school pantry coordinator listed below. Families may select 30 pounds of food and up to 5 pounds of other household products based on their household’s needs each visit.

Eisenberg Elementary School Food Pantry
Also servicing, Leach School, McCullough Middle School, Wilmington Manor and Castle Hills Elementary Families
Molly Perdue (302) 429-4046

Southern Elementary School Food Pantry
Also servicing Gunning Bedford & Wilbur Elementary Families
Terrance Delane (302) 832-6300 x6005

William Penn High School Food Pantry
Also servicing George Read Middle School & Wallin Families
Audrey Boney (302) 323-2800 x3126

New Castle Elementary School Food Pantry
Also servicing Carrie Downie Elementary Families
Courtney Waters-Stroman (302) 323-2886

Pleasantville Elementary School Food Pantry
Megan Nowell (302) 323-2935 x1185

Castle Hills Elementary Food Pantry
Also servicing Wilmington Manor Families
Heidi Gerhard (302) 323-2915 ext. 511

*Families must make an appointment with the school pantry manager prior to coming to the school pantry.

Families may also contact 2-1-1 or call 1-800-560-3372 for Delaware Human Services Referrals & Community Resources.

Back pack programs

A hunger relief meal program administered the Food Bank of Delaware that provides food to children in need for weekends and holidays when school is not in session and federal school meal programs are not available. Backpacks are stocked with kid-friendly, nutritious food including shelf-stable milk and juice, meals such as macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs and beef stew, granola bars, apple sauce, cereal and more. They are distributed on Fridays or the last day before a holiday or vacation in a discreet manner at schools.

To learn more about the Backpack Program, please contact Kerry O’Connell at koconnell@fbd.org or 302-292-1305 ext. 258.

Program Objectives:

• Provide children at-risk of hunger with nutritious, easy-to-prepare food for preparation and consumption at home
• Distribute food within safe sites that offer easy access to the children being served
• Involve additional resources and partners in order to assure sustainability of the program

Program Outcomes:

• Reduce health problems in children served by mitigating negative consequences of undernutrition
• Remove the barrier of hunger that contributes to poor school performance
• Increase awareness of positive nutrition to students’ families.

The Food Bank of Delaware delivers the bags to 11 schools in Colonial weekly. Designated school staff store the bags in a secure area until distribution day and are discreetly inserted into children’s backpacks before the weekend or holiday break. Dependent upon availability, pencils, school supplies and small toys are also distributed in the take-home bags.