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Making a Difference Doesn’t End at Retirement

Not knowing how to fill your days during retirement worries a lot of people. But when Mack Wathen was contemplating retirement, the former Delmarva Power vice president of Support Services knew his passion for giving back would keep him busy. After years of service at Delmarva Power, volunteering and giving back to the community in many ways, he knew he wanted to continue to be engaged in the local community, even after retiring and beginning the next exciting chapter in his life.  For Mack and his wife Nancy, the place they have chosen to make a difference and carry that spirit forward is the Food Bank of Delaware.

Elected to the Board of Directors in 2013, Mack has spent more than 10 years supporting the Food Bank. In addition to many other roles, he and Nancy can be found volunteering during the early morning shifts, preparing and packing meals for kids that might otherwise go hungry.   

“Delmarva Power has a long history of supporting important needs in our communities,” said Wathen. “At my retirement celebration, I thanked the company for supporting my efforts in the community, and at the Food Bank in particular. Delmarva Power continues to be a supporter of the Food Bank of Delaware, and for that I am very proud and grateful. I was recently elected as an officer of the Food Bank, serving as vice chair, Strategic Planning. In this role, I use my years of business experience at Delmarva Power to support the Food Bank’s planning process.”

The Food Bank recently hosted a ribbon cutting of a world-class facility serving the citizens of Delaware. A part of that new complex is a food pantry, proudly sponsored by Delmarva Power through a $40,000 donation over four years. The Healthy Pantry Center provides an opportunity to directly serve families in need. The pantry is set up like a small grocery store to empower clients to make food decisions that are best for their household. Emphasis is placed on nutritious foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, beans and more. Each year, Delmarva Power volunteers continue to support the Food Bank of Delaware through hundreds of volunteer hours.

We are proud to be leaders in the community, and to see our employees apply the skills they learn here to drive progress for education, the environment, arts and culture, and community development well into their retirement. The support for the Food Bank of Delaware is just one example of the great things our employees and retirees are doing to make a difference. In 2018, our employees volunteered nearly 16,000 hours to help more than 460 organizations throughout Delaware and Maryland—that’s equal to volunteering more than 2,000 work days! Click here to learn more about our ongoing community initiatives.