Our Foundation moved to Csillaghegy, the third district of Budapest, in 2004. By developing and expanding a district programme that started in January 2009, in 2012 we are distributing 600 meals a day, 5 times a week, in two locations in the district where we are based.
Our organisation provides basic social services, including canteen meals. The demand for this service in the districts of the capital is outstanding. One of the best-known programmes of our foundation so far has been the food distribution in Blaha Lujza Square, which was moved to Teleki László Square in May 2011, where hundreds of people are fed daily. Some of the people served here are already receiving some form of care, while others are still looking for social assistance. However, a group of people in need do not recognise their own eligibility and refrain from accepting benefits - our organisation is working to identify and reach the latter two target groups.
In Óbuda, the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service provides a wide range of services in the field of homeless care, while the care of the elderly, families and the disabled is also provided to a high standard by the district and metropolitan institutions, so we felt that the most effective way for our organisation to help is to provide food for families with many children and people living below the minimum subsistence level. Families who find it difficult or impossible to acknowledge their plight in public, families who are unable to attend our city centre food distribution due to the number of children they have or their living conditions. As for the type of care, we are also guided by the integrated care approach in the capital, and our aim was to develop a more multi-faceted service based on a collaborative approach, bringing together the care system.
In 2008, our Foundation started concrete discussions on our responsibility in the III district, and as a result, our family support programme was launched in 2009. With the help of the local mayor, Mr Balázs Bús, and the Social Department of the Municipality, we first reached out to the inhabitants of the district who were in contact with the Family Support Service, and at the beginning of the programme, we notified the most needy of the 1,200 people concerned. In the beginning, 300 people were assisted in the courtyard of the Family Counselling and Child Protection Centre in Cascades, on Saturdays, with a steadily increasing number of beneficiaries, and the number has grown year on year.
The target group is made up of families, pensioners, retired people, unemployed people and, according to the family support staff, the most deprived people in the district. Many of those who turn to family support services are the only people who have access to a hot meal once a day. Some are literally not hungry, but are unable to provide themselves with nutritious, quality food. According to the Family Support Worker, 80% of the beneficiaries need support because of financial difficulties (debt, overdue loans, low pensions, etc.) and unemployment, so that if they can manage to eat, they can use the money saved to pay off their debts, pay their utility bills or buy medicines, nappies, glasses, etc., which are often a luxury for them.
In 2010, a big step forward was made when our organisation offered to extend the once-a-week service to 5 days a week, and further improvements allowed us to move from 300 meals to more than 400 meals a day in 2011. Until now, the distribution of food has been carried out alternately 5 days a week in two locations: the distribution point in Fékásmegyer on Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday and one location in Inner Obuda on Friday and Saturday. Beneficiaries are provided with bread, yoghurt and fruit to accompany their vegetarian lunch, so that a truly hearty, healthy, rich and nutritious menu is served to all members of the families.
In 2012, at the request of Mayor Balázs Bús, we are changing the current structure. Many of the beneficiaries have indicated that, as travel costs money, they can only receive their food at the nearest distribution point, so they can only claim the benefit 2 or 3 times a week. In addition, the waiting list for benefits at the family assistance office is constantly growing. Our organisation has therefore decided that from November onwards, we will be delivering meals in both Békásmegyer and Kaszásdűlő 5 days a week, so the number of meals served will increase as more people can come to collect their food - 250 people will be served in Kaszásdűlő and 350 in Békásmegyer. Of course, the expansion also required organisational development and investment in equipment, for which the Óbuda-Békásmegyer Municipality's representative body voted in favour of support.