By Elle Wood

MILFORD — The Food Bank of Delaware hosted a packing opportunity to kick off the Do More 24 Delaware campaign Wednesday.

About two dozen individuals visited the facility to assemble meal kits for its year-round Backpack Program, which provides food for children on weekends and holidays when school is not in session.

The gathering came one day before Do More 24, a 24-hour period of giving that raises money and awareness for a variety of nonprofits. It runs from 6 p.m. Thursday until 6 p.m. Friday.

The packaged food kits contain nutritional and shelf-stable items, including cereal, juices and macaroni and cheese. The Food Bank gives out about 8,000 bags each week to students across Kent and Sussex counties.

The agency became involved with Do More 24 in 2020. And, with its new Milford location, which opened in December 2023, there is more space to help more people.

“Before, we would’ve never been able to set up this many lines of volunteers,” the Food Bank’s vice president of communications Kim Turner said Wednesday. “We just have so much more space to pack these bags now.”

This year, the Food Bank wants to raise $37,000 in Do More’s 24 hours, she added.

The packaging project included about 12 students from the STRIVE program in the Capital School District.

Danielle Sacco, who works with those children, said she enjoys seeing them interact with others and learning valuable skills. They volunteer at various places across the state, she added, and the Food Bank is one they like to visit whenever possible.

“(The Food Bank) is one of their favorite places to go to volunteer,” she said.

There are many other nonprofits raising funds via Do More 24, including the Bayhealth Foundation, the Delaware State Fair, the Milford Museum, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Delaware chapter and Delaware College Scholars.

For information, visit domore24delaware.org.