Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) announced today the DART spring “Stuff The Bus” Food Drive collected 4.3 tons (8,514 pounds) of food.  The 4-day event was held April 4 through April 7 at the Safeway stores in Rehoboth and Dover, and the ShopRite stores at First State Plaza and Brandywine Commons.  Included in the total are donations from Stuff The Bus Partners, Chesapeake Utilities and Sharp Energy. The Food Bank of Delaware will distribute the donated food through its hunger relief partners to Delaware residents in need of food assistance.

“The Food Bank of Delaware has met record levels of need over the past several years, and the DelDOT family is proud to support their mission through their drive-thru mobile pantries and the expanded “Stuff The Bus” food drives,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski. “We are so grateful for the donations received across the state!”

John Sisson, DTC’s Chief Executive Officer, stated, “The employees at DTC are always looking to give back to the community, and Stuff the Bus is a perfect way for them to go out into the community and help others in need.  I want to again thank our partners at Safeway, ShopRite, Chesapeake Utilities, Sharp Energy and everyone who continues to support our ongoing efforts with this great charitable cause.”

The spring food drive yielded donations from the public, as well as businesses and organizations throughout the entire state, including the employees from DART, DelDOT and DMV, which filled two 28-foot paratransit buses full of non-perishable food.  To see photos from the event, visit DART’s Facebook page.

Longtime partners Chesapeake Utilities and Sharp Energy generously donated more than $5,000 worth of food. Their donations weighed in at 3,799 pounds, which significantly contributed to the total tonnage of food collected.

“For more than 160 years, we’ve helped advance the communities we serve. We’re committed to investing our energy to benefit the places we call home, and events like “Stuff the Bus” help us to deliver on that commitment. Partnering with DART to support organizations like the Food Bank of Delaware with their positive and lasting impact, helps the communities we serve to flourish,” said Eric Mays, director of propane operations for Sharp Energy. Sharp Energy provides propane for DART’s paratransit buses.

DTC thanks everyone for their generosity and support in helping to “stuff” our buses.  Together, as a team, we have helped to make a difference in providing food assistance to Delawareans in need. For more information on donating food, contact the Food Bank at 302-292-1305, or visit  www.FBD.org. The Food Bank of Delaware is a nonprofit agency committed to ending hunger in Delaware.

The Delaware Transit Corporation, a subsidiary of the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), operates DART First State.  For more information, please visit www.DartFirstState.com or call 1-800-652-DART.  Real-Time Bus Information and DART Pass, the mobile fare payment option, are both available on the free DART Transit App (iOS and Android).

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