Food Banks & Pantries: Crisis Response in Germany

The Tafeln in Germany support people with fast emergency aid. Since the spread of the coronavirus, the Tafeln have observed a new level of poverty in Germany and have also faced major challenges themselves. Many food banks are reorganizing their operations so that food can be distributed with as little contact as possible.

Tafeln experience new form of hardship

The consequences of the Corona pandemic are becoming increasingly noticeable at the Tafeln. Almost 40 percent of the more than 950 Tafeln nationwide are reporting more customers compared to September 2020, and in many places the number has increased by up to 20 percent. People receiving unemployment benefit II and those on short-time working are particularly affected. The proportion of pensioners has also risen significantly to 30 percent. Many of them were not dependent on external assistance before the crisis. At one in five food banks, customers stay away for fear of infection and are currently not reached by the food banks' services.

Quick, safe and environmentally friedly

With its new electric cargo bicycle, Tafel Bad Kreuznach has an environmentally friendly way to deliver food to around 30 Tafel service users, for whom visiting their local Tafel is too risky. Food bank director Daniela Essler is delighted with this new method of distributing food: “The beneficiaries we deliver to with the cargo bike are relieved they no longer have to make the trip themselves because it is so risky for them.” The cargo bike was partly financed with grants from the coronavirus emergency aid fund.

Food banks depend on support

The food banks are dependent on help in order to be able to distribute food under the difficult conditions.

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