Delaware Resources

The following is a PA Resource guide for the following supportive services:
  • Food Assistance  
  • Housing and Utility Assistance
  • Mental Health Resources
  • COVID-19 Rapid Test

Food Assistance

Food Bank of Delaware

Free food is available to Delaware seniors over the age of 60 through the Food Bank of Delaware’s the Commodity upplemental Food Program.

What is the CSFP?

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) is a federal food program that is designed to improve the health of senior citizens. Food for the program is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s agency of Food and Nutrition Service.

Who Can Receive the CSFP?

You must be a Delaware resident at least 60 years of age and have a qualifying income laid out in the chart below:

Family SizeAnnual Income
1$16,744
2$22,646
3$28,548
4$34,450
5$40,352
6$46,254
7$52,156
8$58,058
For each additional
family member add:
+$5,902

How to Sign Up

Fill out an application here and return to the Food Bank via mail to:

Dave Weddle
222 Lake Drive
Newark, DE 19702

**In addition to filling out the application, the Food Bank needs proof of age and proof of Delaware residency.

What’s in the Food Box?

  • Canned Vegetables
  • Juice
  • Canned Fruit
  • Protein Item
  • Cereal
  • Milk Product
  • Carbohydrate
  • Cheese

FoodPantries.org has an updated list of food pantries in the following 19 cities throughout Delaware. The website is regularly updated and has information on food pantries across the USA.

Housing and Utility Assistance

Rental Relief

If you’ve been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are struggling to pay your rent, you may be eligible for rental assistance from DSHA. Help is available for current or past due rent.

Are you Eligible? Eligible households must have:
  • One or more individuals who qualified for unemployment OR experienced a reduction in income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship due directly or indirectly to the pandemic;
  • Risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability, which may include: past due utility or rent notice or eviction notice, or housing cost burden (rent is more than 30% of monthly income) AND
  • Income (either 2020 annual income or current income at time of application) at or below 80% of Area Median Income for the county of residence according to the below table.

Please note: Rent arrears prior to April 1, 2020 cannot be covered by DE HAP. If you owe rent to your landlord that was due prior to April 1, 2020, please visit http://destatehousing.com/covid19/renters for a list of other resources for rent and utility assistance in Delaware that may be able to assist.

Maximum Household Income Eligibility for DEHAP

County1 Person2 Person3 Person4 Person5 Person6 Person
New Castle$52,960$60,480$68,080$75,600$81,680$87,760
Kent & Sussex$46,480$53,120$59,760$66,400$71,680$77,040

Apply here for assistance.

Lutheran Community Services helps individuals and families address food, housing, and other essential needs with dignity and respect. LCS has been serving low-income families in Wilmington and New Castle County, Delaware since 1959.

LCS is a community partner for the DEHAP rental assistance program. Their friendly and experienced staff will be happy to assist applicants with their application so that they are able to receive the financial assistance you need.

This program provides aid for the following situations:

  • Late rent
  • Late utilities
  • Both rent and utilities
  • Security Deposits

How to Apply

Complete a 2 page intake form, that includes:

  • Applicant information
  • Household income
  • Household member information
  • Monthly budget
  • Reason for need

Provide required documentation. This varies but typically includes:

  • Picture ID
  • Proof of Income (examples: Most Recent Tax Return, SSI/SSDI, Snap Benefit Letter)
  • Copy of lease
  • Late notice from landlord or utility company

Please submit the Intake Form and Documentation via email to dehaplcs@gmail.com.

The Delaware Energy Assistance Program (DEAP) is a federally funded program for low-income families that need help in meeting their costs of home energy. The Division of State Service Centers (DSSC) administers this program on a contractual basis with Catholic Charities, Inc. Funds are provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). DEAP

services provide assistance to income eligible families to help them meet their home energy needs. Income eligibility is defined as 200% of the federal poverty level.

(As a reference, please see the Division of Social Services’ Income Eligibility tables.) DEAP has several components which include:

Fuel Assistance:  Help with home energy bills from the period of October 1 – March 31.  This includes grants to income eligible households to help pay for home heating, which includes electricity, natural gas, kerosene, propane, coal, or wood.  Grants are made to both homeowners and renters.

Crisis Assistance:  This component helps households in crisis during the winter months and may be in the form of a supplemental grant to their fuel assistance benefit.  In addition to being income eligible, households must show they are experiencing a crisis (i.e., shut-off notice, out of fuel, no money to pay for fuel).

Summer Cooling Assistance Program (SCAP):   This program operates during the months of June-August and helps pay for electricity to cool homes with air conditioning during the hot, humid summer months.  In addition to receiving a grant to offset the high costs of electricity to air condition a home, some populations may be eligible to receive a room sized air conditioning unit.

It is important to call Catholic Charities to find out where and how to apply for assistance.  To contact Catholic Charities call:

Kent County: (302) 674-1782
New Castle County: (302) 654-9295
Sussex County: (302) 856-6310

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for this benefit program, you must be a resident of Delaware and you must need financial assistance with home energy costs.

A person who participates or has family members who participate in certain other benefit programs, such as SNAP, SSI, TANF, automatically meets the eligibility requirement.

To be eligible, you must have an annual household income (before taxes) that is below the following amounts:

Annual Household Income Limits (before taxes)

Household Size*Maximum Income Level (Per Year)
1$25,760
2$34,840
3$43,920
4$53,000
5$62,080
6$71,160
7$80,240
8$89,320

For additional information about LIHEAP, the following link is available:
www.neada.org

Mental Health Resources

Patriot Home Care knows the importance of mental health, while realizing the financial barriers to access. However, there are publicly-funded mental health services that provide quality care.

Addiction Helpline

Free 24/7 counseling, coaching, and support, as well as links to behavioral health services provided by individuals with lived experiences.

Call the Delaware Hope Line:

833-9-HOPEDE

Free 24/7 crisis counseling by phone, or when needed by mobile response, to address urgent and emergent behavioral health needs.

Call the Crisis Intervention Service:

  • 800-652-2929 (Northern DE)
  • 800-345-6785 (Southern DE)

Mobile Bridge Clinic

The Mobile Bridge Clinic is located in front of the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution and Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution. The Mobile Bridge van provides social support to individuals returning to the community from incarceration, including support for their families. Individuals and their families can receive services like phone charging, counseling referrals, toiletries, and an opportunity to connect with a peer specialist.

Kent County
James W. Williams State Service Center
805 River Rd., 3rd Floor, Dover, DE 19901
M—F, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
302-857-5060

New Castle County
DSAMH Central Office
14 Central Ave. New Castle, DE 19720
M—F, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
302-255-1650

New Castle County
Hope Center (formerly the Sheraton hotel)
365 Airport Rd. New Castle, DE 19720
M—F, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
S—S, 8:30 a.m.. to 6:30 p.m.
302-544-6815

Sussex County
Thurman Adams State Service Center
546 S. Bedford St. Georgetown, DE 19947
M—F, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
302-515-3310

**In-person support may be limited due to COVID-19. Please call the location for more information.

Find Delaware-specific, state-vetted treatment providers near you ready to accept patients, whether you have insurance or not.

All searches are confidential.

Search Providers here.

Search for and compare treatment facilities near you from a multi-state database, using trustworthy information on treatment quality.

Click here to take the assessment to learn what treatment type might be right for your needs.

Narcan Availability

A 2019 study by the Delaware Drug Overdose Fatality Review Commission found that 79% of the fatal overdoses it reviewed happened in a home. The commission also found that in 93% of the fatal overdoses it studied, Narcan was not available.

OpiRescue

This program seeks to reverse that trend. Follow these steps to obtain Narcan through the NEXT Harm Reduction program:

If you request Narcan, please download the free OpiRescueDE app. The app offers step-by-step instructions on how to use Narcan. It also allows you to anonymously report an opioid overdose reversal, which helps get the medication into more hands.

Locations to Get Narcan

Narcan can be purchased, without a prescription, at participating pharmacies throughout Delaware.

Narcan is available at these participating pharmacies:

  • CVS Pharmacy locations (including those located inside Target stores)
  • Walmart and Sam’s Club store locations in Delaware
  • Giant Pharmacy locations
  • Walgreens Pharmacy locations
  • Acme and Safeway Pharmacy locations
  • Rite Aid Pharmacy locations
  • ShopRite Pharmacy locations
  • Shayona Pharmacy—Delmar
  • Greenhill Pharmacy locations

COVID-19 Rapid Test

Patriot Home Care supports the health and wellness of all of our community members and realizes the financial cost involved in self testing for COVID-19. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order #4 free at home COVID-19 tests. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days and we urge you to order your tests now so you have them when you need them.