Milford, Delaware – Thanks to a $26,500 donation from Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (“Chesapeake”) and the generosity of its employee volunteers who helped distribute 1,000 Thanksgiving meal boxes, more Delaware families will be able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner this year.
Through the Food Bank of Delaware’s Thanksgiving for All program, Chesapeake employees distributed Thanksgiving dinner food boxes at four sites in Kent County and Sussex County during the week of Nov. 16. Each box was filled with the makings of a festive holiday meal, including stuffing and mashed potato mixes, shelf-stable milk, cranberry sauce and more, and then topped with a frozen turkey. Prior to the distributions, volunteer crews from Chesapeake Utilities worked several shifts to pack the boxes that The Food Bank delivered to the sites.
The Company’s hard-working volunteers staffed the distribution operations at each site. In all, 167 employees volunteered 856 hours to the Food Bank of Delaware to complete the Thanksgiving for All project. Among the volunteers was the Chesapeake’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Michael P. McMasters.
“This is our fourth year partnering with the Food Bank of Delaware to provide Thanksgiving meals for families on Delmarva,” said Mr. McMasters. “Our employees look forward to volunteering for this event every year. This is just another way we connect with our communities.”
“Distributing 1,000 Thanksgiving meal boxes within a four day time span is extraordinary,” said Chad Robinson, Milford Branch Director of The Food Bank of Delaware. “We couldn’t have done this without the support of the entire Chesapeake team. We were met each day with an enthusiastic group of volunteers ready to load carts and cars with all of the essentials for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. This Thanksgiving we are so thankful for Chesapeake Utilities.”
In addition to the holiday food distribution, Chesapeake Utilities Corporation also makes funding available to ensure that the elderly, ill and those facing financial hardship are not forgotten during the cold winter months when energy bills are at their peak. Grants are available to income-eligible customers of the Company’s Chesapeake Utilities and Sharp Energy business units, with additional amounts available for those over the age of 60. Also, the SHARING program has additional grants for appliance purchases or repair; the recently unemployed; and customers who are in need due to serious illness or family tragedy. Learn more about SHARING at www.chpk.com/sharing.
Chesapeake provides natural gas and propane to over 106,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania through its Chesapeake Utilities, Sandpiper Energy and Sharp Energy business units.
For more information on how to volunteer at the Food Bank of Delaware or about the Food Bank’s outreach throughout the year, visit www.fbd.org.
The Food Bank of Delaware distributes millions of pounds of food and grocery products each year through its network of 620 hunger-relief program partners throughout the state and also provides thousands of meals a month for children through the After-School Nutrition Program, the Summer Food Service Program and the Backpack Program. The Food Bank’s hunger-relief programs directly provide for Delawareans at risk of going without meals each year. For more information about the Food Bank of Delaware, visit www.fbd.org or call (302) 292-1305.
About Chesapeake Utilities Corporation
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE: CPK) is a diversified energy company engaged in natural gas distribution, transmission, gathering and processing, and marketing; electricity distribution, propane gas distribution and wholesale marketing and other businesses. Information about Chesapeake’s family of businesses is available at www.chpk.com
