The difficulties caused by COVID-19 in recent weeks have been a particular challenge for the needy, as their situation, care and prospects become even more precarious. In order to receive support even in these difficult times, the role of the organizations that help them will increase even more.
The Hungarian Food Bank Association is helping to provide 300,000 deprived people nationwide these weeks.This year, the 15-year-old Food Bank Association also operates its food rescue and food distribution activities in the current epidemiological situation. It continually accepts food surplus offers from its corporate partners in order to meet the growing needs of those in need.
The food received are very diverse: baked goods, vegetables and fruits, canned food, chocolate, sweets, soft drinks, chilled products.The Food Bank distributes surplus food to the needy through its partner organization network. The charities in the network have adapted to the challenges of the epidemiological situation very quickly and have adopted to the new conditions for a safe distribution, acquiring protective equipment, redesigning distribution mechanisms, delivering directly to people’s houses. They are constantly operative. In doing so, they provide care for many people in need. For them food donations are very often a mean to survive.
Among the 300,000 deprived people there are children, elderly people, families, disabled people and homeless. The number of the elderly reaches 40 thousand people, and their care now requires special attention.
In the first 3 months of the year, the Food Bank distributed more than 2,000 tons of food, for a value of more than HUF 1.5 billion. This March, 715 tons of food was delivered to the needy as immediate assistance for an amount of more than HUF 580 million.“We consider it very important to keep our operations going, the situation of a lot of people depends on us now. Most of all, we need additional food surplus offers and financial assistance” said Balázs Cseh, President of the Hungarian Food Bank Association.
Source: www.elelmiszerbank.hu
