Bremerhaven: New hope for those in need – food bank will open again soon!

Bremerhaven: New hope for those in need – food bank will open again soon!

In Bremerhaven there is positive news about the future of the Tafel: From January 5, 2024, people in need will be able to pick up food on Surfeldstrasse again. The volunteers who came together last week are starting a new chapter after the closure originally announced for the end of the year was averted. “We are ready to make a difference together,” says a spokesman for the volunteers, who have already received numerous food donations. It is estimated that up to1,000 people in needwith food, which is particularly important in times of rising living costs, as butenunbinnen.de reports.

The closure, which was caused by drastic cuts in funding, rising costs and new hygiene regulations, was announced by Bremerhaven Volkshilfe, the previous sponsor. The situation in Bremerhaven is alarming: around35.6%of the population are at risk of poverty and are entitled to use the food bank, mentions taz.de. The main reason for the closure was, among other things, the loss of a cold storage facility and the expiration of the contracts for job center members who had previously supported the food bank.

Restart and challenges

Thanks to the support of the former sponsor, the necessary building and vehicle fleet will continue to be available for the time being. However, a new long-term solution will be needed in the next six months. It remains to be hoped that the volunteers can do justice to their “ability to improvise”, as Uwe Lampe, the chairman of the regional association of food banks in Bremen and Lower Saxony, describes it. He plans to visit Bremerhaven to explore ways to secure the food bank and increase support for employees.

In order to keep the food bank running, donations are needed more than ever. The new sponsoring association has already informed around 80 regular donors that surplus food will be accepted again. “It is important that we stick together and actively support the community,” said a volunteer during an organizational meeting.

The situation of those in need

For many people in Bremerhaven, the Tafel is not only a contact point, but also a way of saving lives: they receive food worth30 to 40 eurosfor merely2 to 4 euros. These prices are for many households that are on theAt-risk-of-poverty limitlive – defined in the EU as less than60%of middle income – essential for survival. An example illustrates the situation: With a median of25,000 eurosannually the at-risk-of-poverty threshold would be15,000 eurosannually, which is approximately1,250 eurosmonthly corresponds to people living alone, according to the information from destatis.de.

In view of these challenges, the reopening of the food bank in Bremerhaven is a ray of hope in the current situation. However, there is still a lot to be done to secure the structure in the long term and to continue to offer those in need a place to go.