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Tafel Bremerhaven is about to restart: Help for 1,000 people in need!
Tafel Bremerhaven will close at the end of 2025 due to financial difficulties, but will restart on January 5, 2026. Demand remains high.
Tafel Bremerhaven is about to restart: Help for 1,000 people in need!
In Bremerhaven, the current situation surrounding the food bank is simmering: With its closure at the end of 2025, the previous food distribution system, which is supported by several charitable organizations, has suffered a severe setback. According to NDR, several factors are blamed for this, including reduced federal funding, new hygiene regulations and rising costs for electricity, rent and waste disposal. The news is all the more pleasing that a new sponsoring association called “Tafel Bremerhaven” has been founded by committed volunteers and is already planning to reopen.
The food distribution is scheduled to reopen on January 5, 2026 on Surfeldstrasse for previously registered customers. The goal is to have all six branches of the food bank back into operation by mid-January 2026. The current operators provide both the buildings and the vehicles for this purpose. The commitment of helpers is an important pillar in supporting the restart.
The plight of those in need
The city of Bremerhaven has expressed regret about the closure of the food bank, but due to its own financial situation it cannot provide any support. Mayor Melf Grantz and Head of Social Affairs Martin Günthner are still in discussions with welfare associations and churches in order to possibly find solutions together.
Challenges and solutions
The challenges for the board are enormous. Not only do the legal standards for the building pose problems for the operators, the need for a new cold storage facility is also urgently needed after the previous provider terminated due to their own needs. “There were discussions about alternatives, but these remained inconclusive,” explains Uwe Lamp, chairman of the Lower Saxony/Bremen board. The up to 950 people who are served by the food bank each week now face an uncertain future if the necessary measures are not taken before the reopening.
Ongoing inflation and the rising cost of living further complicate the situation, especially for families in need. The benefit systems such as citizen's benefit and social assistance also find it difficult to compensate for the losses caused by the increased costs. This shows that the challenges not only affect the distribution of food, but also the reality of life for many Bremerhaven residents, who are particularly dependent on social support in these times of crisis.
Looking ahead to the coming year, it is to be hoped that Tafel Bremerhaven can reach many people with its restart and that social structures can be strengthened despite the adverse circumstances.
Further information about Tafel Bremerhaven can be found at NDR and Buten and inland.