Food Banks & Pantries: Crisis Response in Germany

Dear supporters,

Two years into the Corona pandemic, our food banks and pantries all over Germany continue to face major challenges. Reorganizing our workflows around higher hygiene standards, for example by implementing contact-free pick up or grocery delivery, means higher operating costs for our volunteer work. Making sure that our services remains freely accessible to people in need is especially important now in the face of rising food prices and the disproportionate impact that has on our patrons.

The pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges for food banking, and we depend on your support. With your donations, we were able to support our network of 960 Tafel food banks and pantries by distributing grants from Tafel Deutschland's Emergency Aid Fund.

One such grant equipped the Tafel Freilassing with hygiene and safety equipment. Two disinfection dispensers, eleven partitions and a contact-free thermometer were purchased because, as the Tafel’s director Erika Kloss summed up "The safety of our customers and volunteers is our top priority." This is just one example of how your donations helped a Tafel last year.

Your donation also supports the work of the umbrella organization: Tafel Deutschland helps the 960 local Tafel by providing up-to-date information on health and safety regulations, special conditions, funding opportunities, digitalization efforts, volunteer recruiting, networking, educational programs and so much more. At the same time, Tafel Deutschland raises awareness around the Tafel and foodbanking in Germany and internationally while advocating for changes to social and environmental policies that are in line with our mission to help people by saving food.

More information about Tafel's work can be found on our website: http://www.tafel.de.

Thanks for your great support!

Corona in 2021: Tafel food banks still distressed by Covid

All of our branches have now reopened their doors to the public, but the range of services still remains limited. In addition to the regulars, we are now seeing more and more new faces at our Tafel locations. These people, who had led stable, settled lives before the corona virus pandemic, have now fallen into poverty during the crisis. At the same time, some people, mostly senior citizens or others with pre-existing conditions, are not using Tafel’s services for fear of infection. Other forms of support offered at the Tafel, such as tutoring or cooking courses, have been suspended because of increased operational cost.

But also thanks to your kind donations, we have been able to support our members with a fund dedicated to corona related costs.

Refrigeration cell for eight pallets of refrigerated goods

Disinfectant, sneeze guards, masks and other hygiene measures caused such a considerable financial burdened for Tafel Holzminden that the purchase of an urgently needed cold room seemed impossible. Funds from the Corona Emergency Aid Fund helped to finance a new cold room despite the increased operational costs. Eight pallets of refrigerated goods can now be stored for distribution to people in need.

Tafel food banks and their beneficiaries still rely on support from donors. With reliable partners on our side, we will be able to continue helping the most vulnerable members of society get through this crisis.

Your donation helps us to help people and save food!