Our foundation concluded another very busy and eventful year in 2013. Throughout the year, we strove to adapt to the increasingly diverse and varied needs of our ever-more-diverse group of beneficiaries, and to continue operating programs capable of providing effective assistance to a wide range of people in need.
Our target group consists of people without a household, those living below the subsistence level, those on small pensions, and large families. In addition to the above social groups, we also serve Roma families, at-risk youth (drug addicts, those in state care), people with disabilities, those with addictions, people with reduced work capacity, the unemployed, people with delinquent mortgage payments, and others in need; thus, our charitable work is carried out in the spirit of promoting and creating equal opportunities.
This year, we continued to carry out our work on a nationwide scale, and in addition to our Budapest locations, we placed great emphasis on organizing assistance for those in need in rural areas, as well as on improving the quality of our existing services. Over the course of the year, the Eger Office increased the number of meals distributed daily, so starting in the second half of the year, we have been serving hot lunches, baked goods, and fruit to 300 people five days a week.
Starting in the spring, we have been organizing food distributions every weekend in Debrecen, during which we have handed out 150 servings of hot meals on each occasion.
In August 2013, our foundation expanded with the addition of a new branch office in Pécs. The establishment of the Pécs Office was made possible by the enthusiastic and successful collaboration of a team of volunteers, who have since been organizing food distributions on a monthly basis and in connection with major holidays—primarily to support disadvantaged children and schools.
For people living in the country's more remote, underserved communities food aid package distributor We have tried to help through our service. In addition, in connection with the holidays, we organized periodic food distribution drives in several major cities and small towns across the country—including Miskolc, Kecskemét, Szeged, Kaposvár, Somogyvámos, and others.
To sum it all up, in 2013 we distributed more than 450,000 servings of hot meals and several metric tons of non-perishable food, vegetables, and fruit to our fellow citizens in need across the country.
Adapting to the situations that arose during the year due to the changing legal environment—including stricter regulations on the use of public spaces and shifts in the authorities’ approach to street homelessness—posed a major challenge; but it can be said that, thanks to negotiations and collaboration with decision-makers and professional organizations, we were able to find solutions to ensure the smooth operation of food distributions.
Operated in the capital city our public food distribution In the spring, we moved back from Teleki László Square to our former location at Blaha Lujza Square, and then, starting in November, we were able to resume our work at Teleki László Square. At these locations, we continued to serve hot meals to more than 500 people every weekday. In addition to lunch, those in need also receive food they can take home for dinner: baked goods, fruit, and yogurt. In this way, a total of approximately 150,000 meals were distributed throughout 2013.
Family Support Worker As part of our program, we provided a hearty lunch, fruit, and dairy products five days a week to approximately 1,000 job seekers, retirees, and low-income families with many children each day. We operate this service at three locations in two districts of Budapest—Districts III and VII—in cooperation with local social services offices and family support services. Thanks to this assistance, households are able to save money, which allows them to pay off debts and prevents the accumulation of overdue bills and the loss of their housing. Our collaboration with district governments can, without a doubt, be called exemplary, as it serves as a model for local-level cooperation that has been functioning effectively for years, guided by mutual support, respect, and a commitment to helping those in need.
Our food aid package delivery service, which has been operating since 2010, which allows us to support those in need in communities far from our locations, has become well-known throughout the country, so we have been receiving an increasing number of letters requesting assistance from all corners of the country. Over the course of the year, we received more requests than ever before: we typically received 5–10 requests per day, but during the Christmas season—which was our busiest period—the number of incoming requests reached seventy per day. There were also several instances where the entire population of a small, multiply disadvantaged village—virtually every family living in that village—sought our help. After reviewing the applications, we provide applicants with a standard package worth 3,000–4,000 HUF, containing non-perishable food items and hygiene supplies. We are able to help forty households each month in this way.
Given the very high number of applications we’ve received and the picture that has emerged from these inquiries, we’ve decided to restructure our parcel delivery service starting next year in order to increase the efficiency of our work. We will subsequently seek to reach families and individuals in need by organizing targeted programs—we believe this is a more effective way to provide assistance. We will implement these targeted programs in every case with the involvement of selected municipal or city governments and social service providers, so that those in need who are eligible for support will always be notified by local authorities about the opportunity to receive assistance. From now on, our foundation will organize the delivery of donations through in-person meetings, which we hope will bring joy not only to us but also to those we support.
We continued to operate Our school meal program As part of this initiative—based on a cooperation agreement signed in the fall of 2011—we provided 40 servings of a balanced meal plan five days a week to the children living in the Bokréta Residential Homes, which are operated by the Budapest Municipal Government. In addition, we participated in several events for children, where we supported the younger generation and their families with toys, sweets, and non-perishable food, For example, on Children’s Day, and throughout the summer, we supported camps organized for children in need by providing non-perishable food and sweets.
In connection with the holidays, we organized a special event again this year Our holiday food distribution drives (Easter, Christmas), during which we distributed 1,200 meals per day—and 1,500 meals per day during the Christmas food distribution—along with food packages to those in need. At Christmas, we donated approximately 6,500 meals or food packages, as well as warm clothing and toys, to large numbers of people in need nationwide. This year marked the first-ever Óbuda Family Day, during which we supported more than 600 families and individuals in need on Children’s Day. During the event, we welcomed children and their families living in District III who are facing difficult circumstances with hot meals, Indian sweets, and a generous food package, along with a variety of activities and arts-and-crafts workshops. This year, for the first time, we organized a special food distribution event to mark World Charity Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, with the aim of drawing the attention of members of society to the importance of solidarity, compassion for one another, and taking responsibility.
Since 2011, our Foundation has been working with the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice Through its Probation Service In collaboration with others, we participate in the rehabilitation and community service programs for juveniles and young adults who have committed minor offenses. We are able to introduce offenders referred to our foundation to a lifestyle grounded in strong moral and spiritual values, which can serve as a model for them. Together with our volunteers, they can work as part of a peaceful community based on mutual respect, experiencing firsthand that they, too, are capable of performing useful work that has a positive impact on the community.
Throughout the year, there were numerous cultural, culinary, youth, and social at an event, a professional gathering We represented our organization not only through publications and presentations, but also, of course, through our food. (Óbuda Civil Day, Children’s Day events, Indian Culinary Day, etc.)
Nearly 150 volunteers helped with our day-to-day work and special initiatives throughout the year. In addition to helping organize food distributions during major campaigns, our volunteers also played a role in day-to-day operational tasks (transportation, fundraising, publicity, etc.).
We would like to take this opportunity to thank them, as well as all of our supporters, and partners for helping us achieve our professional goals through their work, support, enthusiasm, and donations, and for helping us assist as many people in need as possible.