The volunteers at Tafel Gießen distribute rescued food to people who urgently need it. Stadtwerke Giessen is now supporting this social commitment with a donation of 5,000 euros.
Distributing instead of destroying. This is what the volunteers at Tafel Giessen are committed to day after day. In concrete terms, this means collecting food that is still in good condition and is no longer for sale or should be thrown away and making it available to those in need. "In this way, we not only help people, but also contribute to reducing food waste in Germany," explains Anna Conrad, head of the food banks in the city and district of Giessen. By way of comparison: in Germany alone, around eleven million tonnes of food are thrown away unused every year.
Challenging times
The work of the food banks is therefore valuable on several levels - and more important than ever in the current situation. Due to global conflicts and disasters, in particular the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, less donations than needed were channelled to social institutions in Germany last year. This also affects the food banks.
At the same time, more and more people in Germany are dependent on social aid due to rising costs in many areas of life. "Especially in times of crisis like the one we are currently experiencing, we want to support social projects in the region," emphasises Ulli Boos, company spokesperson for Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG). This is why SWG 2022 once again decided to forego the usual Christmas presents and donated 5,000 euros to the Gießen food bank instead.
Supporting charitable work
Every day, more than 300 volunteers provide around 180 households in the region with food. "We collect these from local food businesses beforehand," explains Anna Conrad. The goods are then stored, sorted, packed into boxes and finally distributed to those in need for a small fee at the "Tafelladen" food bank in Giessen's Weststadt district.
In the end, everyone involved benefits from the Tafel's commitment: food retailers and manufacturers assume social responsibility and save on disposal costs. People in financial need receive high-quality food. And, incidentally, the amount of waste produced is reduced in favour of the environment.
Work only possible with donations
The food bank is run by the Diakonisches Werk Gießen. The central administration of the social organisation is located there. Everything else is done by helpers in countless hours of work on site. Like many other social aid organisations, the Tafel Gießen is also dependent on donations. "We mainly cover our costs for rent, vehicles, petrol and other expenses with money donated by private individuals or companies," explains Sigrid Unglaub, Head of the Diakonisches Werk in Giessen. Anna Conrad adds: "Without the numerous donations, our daily work would not be possible. We are grateful for any help."
Actively helping out
The Tafel Giessen team is always happy to receive support - both financially and actively on site. So if you would like to help, you can either donate money to the Tafel or get involved as a volunteer. Further information can be found at: www.tafel-giessen.de