Orange Township and Ostrander families struggling to afford groceries can now catch a free bus ride to the People In Need food pantry in Delaware, thanks to a pilot program that launched in early July.

The rides are free.

The Food Access program, a partnership between People In Need of Delaware County and Delaware County Transit, provides round-trip rides to the PIN pantry at 138 Johnson Drive in Delaware for households earning at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. That's roughly $64,000 a year for a family of four.

The rides run every other week through Sept. 23, according to Delaware Source, which first reported the program. Orange Township's website has also posted the announcement.

"We wanted to create a reverse mobile market," Kristin Pzedpelski, PIN's director of food insecurity programs, told Delaware Source.

Rather than trucking food into neighborhoods, the program removes a transportation barrier. Orange Township Hall sits about 25 minutes from the pantry by car; Ostrander's village hall is about 15 minutes away. For families without reliable vehicles or tight on gas money, that distance can be enough to keep them from a four-day food supply PIN provides based on family size.

How to reserve a ride

Eligible residents call 740-363-3355, press option 1, and mention the Food Access Program. Rides must be reserved at least 48 hours in advance. A staff member will direct callers to the nearest pick-up location.

Funded by federal block grant

Delaware County's 2025 Community Development Block Grant program supplied $27,000 to launch the pilot. Both Orange Township and Ostrander participate in the CDBG program, which is why they were selected. The same grant cycle awarded Ostrander $150,000 for sidewalk improvements.

Early ridership

Community engagement director Mallory Sribanditmongkol told Delaware Source that ridership has been low in the program's first weeks but said PIN expected a ramp-up period for something entirely new. She pointed to PIN's existing bus pass program as proof of demand: it started distributing 30 monthly passes for pantry trips and now hands out 55, most claimed within the first few days of each month.

Sribanditmongkol said the Sept. 23 end date may be extended.

What's next

Delaware County Transit is placing a permanent 0.2% sales tax levy on the November 2026 ballot to fund expanded transit services countywide, according to 10TV. That vote could reshape how residents without cars access essential services across the growing county.

Residents with questions about the Food Access Program can contact People In Need at 740-363-3355.