The Ukraine war, rising food prices, higher energy costs: many people can no longer make ends meet and are dependent on food banks. But now they too are sounding the alarm.
The crowd in front of the fan house of the Bundesliga soccer club 1. FC Union Berlin can hardly be overlooked or overheard. They stand and sit in an orderly fashion on marked lines in the parking lot.
However, there are no Union fans – but mothers, seniors, young men or fathers who are waiting for a few groceries. They took shopping trolleys and bags with them, some even stools, because the wait could be longer here. “For health reasons, I can’t stand that long,” says a man who wishes to remain anonymous.
Every Tuesday at 2 p.m., a food distribution takes place at this location in the Köpenick district in East Berlin. The football club has made its area at the fan house available for this purpose. Some have been there since eight o’clock because of this, others came even earlier. “Many also use the place as a social meeting place,” says Carol Seele, head of the Köpenicker distribution point Loaf and Soul. There are 47 such distribution points throughout the city, and the association is a partner of the Berliner Tafel.
“A Significant Increase”
Have there been more people lately? “If we now provide food to over 500 people a day, where we only had 300 or 320 before, that’s a significant increase, in absolute terms,” says Seele. “If there were to be more, we have to come up with something how to handle it. Because we can’t take care of everyone.”
This is what is happening at many food banks in Germany at the moment. As a result of the war in Ukraine and the sharp rise in prices, more and more people are no longer able to afford the essentials, such as sufficient food, says Jochen Brühl, the chairman of the Tafel Deutschland.
These are also people who earn little but were not dependent on help until recently. “Before, they just made ends meet, now they can no longer pay the high prices for food, fuel and energy.” Refugees are also sometimes sent directly to the food banks by social welfare offices without prior consultation, says Brühl.
There are over 960 Tafel in Germany. These are sponsored by many companies – such as local bakeries, butchers, supermarkets, restaurants, but also car companies and banks. You donate food such as fruit, vegetables, bread and baked goods or dairy products. However, support is also available in the form of grants, for example when purchasing a van.
“The situation has never been so tense”
According to the Federal Association, more and more boards have or had imposed a freeze on admissions for new people seeking help. “Because they don’t have enough food donations that they can pass on to more and more people, or because they don’t have helpers or space for further distribution times,” says Brühl. “The situation of the panels has never been as tense as it is now.”
In Bavaria, the food banks have experienced an increase of 50 to 150 percent, says Peter Zilles, chairman of the Bavarian food bank association. Over 90 percent of the new registrations are refugees from Ukraine. Here, too, there had already been a recording stop at several panels. However, this only postponed the problem. “It’s not a patent solution.”
In Bayreuth, for example, there was an “incredible rush to register” immediately after the admission freeze was lifted. Zilles has been a volunteer at the Tafel for 14 years. So far, however, this has been the largest influx – during the refugee crisis in 2015 and 2016 it was not nearly as high.
Other federal states paint a similar picture of the situation. In Saxony, the panels would be “really overrun,” said a spokesman for the associated state association recently. The number of people in need who are looking for help from the food banks in North Rhine-Westphalia has doubled compared to 2020. In Essen, for example, according to the chairman of the regional association, many would have to be sent away again without a Tafel ID card.
The head of the food bank in Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg, recently spoke of an “acute situation”. Normally, 1,200 customers are supported there, and since April an additional 1,400 Ukrainian refugees have been added. In Hamburg, according to information from the local boards, the rush is so great that around three quarters have imposed a freeze on admissions.
Hours of waiting for groceries
Food distribution is already underway in front of the Union Berlin fan house. Those in need will be admitted in the order of their appearance. Ralf is 90th. “If I’m lucky, I’ll be home by 4 p.m.,” he says. He’s been in the parking lot since about 10 a.m. 1.50 euros and proof of need are required, then the tour can begin. 50 to 60 volunteers help here with the organization of the issue, with the reception or with the translation.
“The supermarkets don’t sell that much anymore, it’s getting scarce,” says Wolfgang, one of the volunteers. That’s why there are also people who don’t understand that something less is available at times. So far, however, it has always been enough for everyone.
At the end of the tour by the flowers is Klaus Feske, one of the oldest volunteers. He has been with us for 17 years and thus from the very beginning. “The crowds are increasing, and when things get busy, it’s exhausting for an older gentleman,” says the 87-year-old.
Nevertheless, he still does his job with great pleasure and takes the time for each individual flower consultation. That’s why he has a personal connection to many of them. Because despite all the hustle and bustle: behind every person here there is a sometimes sad story. “Some come and say: They found cancer in me,” he says. “You have to find a bit of comforting and encouraging words. That’s important to us.”
Source: Stern
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