The country’s largest food drive ended with a near-record result, with 342,000 kilograms of donations collected during the Hungarian Food Bank Association’s weekend campaign. Of that total, we at Food for Life collected 4,667 kg of food—thank you for your generous donations!
During every minute of the three-day campaign held at 356 stores across the country, shoppers donated 219 kilograms of goods. In addition to the efforts of 6,500 volunteers, these outstanding figures were also due to the fact that donations this year were not hindered by price caps or quantity limits. As a result, flour and sugar were once again the most frequently donated items. With these donations, the Food Bank can assemble 68,000 food packages and distribute them to those in need. At Food for Life, we’ll be using these donations throughout December as part of our „Christmas Feast of Love” campaign series. The raw ingredients are used locally by the collectors, meaning the food isn’t “transported” anywhere—which is very important from an environmental perspective, in terms of reducing emissions.
Following last year’s decline, the Food Bank’s Christmas non-perishable food drive once again concluded with outstanding results. There were 42% more donations this year, bringing the total close to the record of 348,000 kilograms set in 2021. Contributing to this growth was the fact that donations were accepted at 30 more stores this year than last, and that donations of flour and sugar—which traditionally come in large quantities—were not hindered this year by price caps, or quantity limits. The most important reason for the increase, however, was clearly the public’s growing willingness to donate, with young people and retirees proving to be the most supportive.
„This is the eighteenth time we’ve organized a Christmas donation drive this year, but to this day, we’re still moved by people’s willingness to help every single time. Many people who are clearly in need of help themselves also contribute during this time. We’d like to thank all our donors, as well as our partners and volunteers, for coming together.” – said Balázs Cseh, president of the Food Bank.
Donations help where they are collected
Most of the donations this year again came from Budapest and Pest County, as this region is home to the largest number of stores. Next on the list are Komárom-Esztergom, Vas, Heves, and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg counties. Among the donated items, flour was the most popular, with 20%, but tens of thousands of kilograms of sugar, pasta, cooking oil, and rice were also donated. Meanwhile, the quantity of long-life milk, canned goods, and baby food decreased.
Donors can be sure that their donations have helped local residents. The Food Bank distributes the collected food to those in need—in collaboration with charitable organizations operating in the vicinity of each store—during the period leading up to the holidays and during the coldest weeks of January. The 3- to 5-kilogram packages will primarily benefit the elderly, large families, recipients of family support services and children in foster care, people with disabilities, the homeless, and residents of the country’s most underdeveloped communities.
Even those who didn't participate didn't miss out
Of course, the breakdown of donations may still change, as the fundraising campaign continues online. Tesco’s “Tesco at Home” service offers the opportunity to donate through November 30. On their website, with just a few clicks You can purchase donation packages ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 forints for families in need.
Tesco is also providing significant additional assistance by matching customers’ donations again this year. The company is donating 20% of the value of the food collected in its stores last weekend in the form of a cash donation, thereby contributing to the Food Bank’s food rescue efforts for the entire year.
The goal is half a million packages
The 68,000 food packages assembled during this weekend’s drive are just the first step toward ensuring that no one goes hungry during the holiday season. The Food Bank aims to distribute a total of 500,000 donation packages to those in need during the last two months of the year, which it will primarily achieve by collecting products saved from retailers—such as those nearing their expiration dates or with packaging defects. They are also seeking volunteers for daily food rescue efforts, as well as support from generous individuals and companies.
„At the Food Bank, the number of requests for assistance began to rise sharply this year—unusually early, well before the heating season began. Of particular concern is the high proportion of families with multiple children, single-parent households, and elderly people among those seeking help.” – said Balázs Cseh. – ”Since the Food Bank, as a traditional nonprofit organization, relies primarily on volunteer work and private donations to carry out its work, we count on everyone’s generosity to support them.”
The Weekend's Results in Numbers
- A total of 341,593 kilograms of non-perishable food was collected at 356 stores across the country;
- These will be used to assemble 68,318 food packages, each weighing 5 kilograms, which means we have gathered enough supplies to assemble 44 packages per minute;
- The amount offered is just 6 metric tons short of the 2021 record;
- 6,500 volunteers served at the collection points, and most of them will also help distribute the packages.