The autumn food collection in the Czech Republic saw 640 tonnes of food and drugstore items collected in domestic shops on Saturday, the largest collection in the 11-year history of the scheme, the Czech Federation of Food Banks and the Confederation of Commerce and Tourism (SOCR) told CTK yesterday.
The Czech public donated 572 tonnes of food and 68 tonnes of hygiene products, a significant increase from last year.
On Saturday, 2,250 brick-and-mortar stores and more than 5,000 volunteers participated in the collection. The collection continues on six e-shops until 3 December.
The collections are held annually in the spring and autumn. This year’s spring round of the charity collection raised 565 tonnes of goods, and last autumn’s collection 624 tonnes.
“Not only are the number of participating stores and volunteers from store employees growing year by year, but also the volume of donated food and drugstore supplies,” said SOCR head Tomas Prouza.
“The donated food and drugstore items immediately reach the most vulnerable groups: seniors, families in crisis, single parents or homeless people. Every donation means that someone else has a chance to get through a difficult time with a greater sense of security,” said Ales Slavicek, chairman of the Czech Federation of Food Banks.
He said food banks have seen a growing demand for food aid nationwide in recent months.
Food banks have about 100 partner non-profit organisations in each region that distribute aid to those in need. Distribution points operate at 210 locations in the Czech Republic.
Agriculture Minister Marek Vyborny (KDU-CSL) said on Saturday that the state contribution to the development of domestic food banks will rise to CZK 104 million from next year. This year it was around CZK 95 million. The Czech Federation of Food Banks will use the money for the development of individual branches and warehouses.
