This week, food parcels from the Food for Life Foundation will be delivered to small villages in the Jász region as well as to the Óbuda district of Budapest. In the run-up to Christmas, the relief efforts will take place in the capital as well as in Somogy, Heves, and Hajdú counties. In total, more than 5,300 people will receive the gifts.
Population affected by the crisis
The new wave of the coronavirus pandemic, combined with inflation exceeding 5 percent, is making life even more difficult for marginalized people. Even those individuals and families who still have their homes and jobs are facing difficulties, as economic austerity measures combined with rising prices are having a negative impact on them. Impoverished groups—such as those on meager pensions, the unemployed, and people with disabilities—who were already in need of assistance, are now closer to the brink.
At this time of ongoing pandemic, we can alleviate the concerns of those in need only with the help of individuals and charitable organizations.
Jászapáti-Tiszasüly-Tápiószecső – survival through donations
Since 2010, Krishna devotees have been receiving letters requesting aid in which the residents of Jászapáti and neighboring communities describe their plight. This year, a Christian pastor wrote to the management of the Food for Life program. He wrote that there are many disadvantaged families in the region for whom it is difficult to provide even one warm meal a day for each family member.
On December 7, there will be a food distribution ahead of the holiday season at the places of worship maintained by the pastor in Jászapáti and Tiszasüly. At each location, 50 food packages containing sugar, flour, cooking oil, chocolate, and other useful items will be distributed to families. The Food for Life van will make a stop along the way in Tápiószecső, where it has become a tradition to provide retired residents and needy families in the village with essential food items.
Food and Parcel Delivery in Óbuda
In cooperation with the Family Advisory and Child Protection Service of the Óbuda municipality, Food for Life will organize its special food and parcel distribution event in front of City Hall near the Flórián shopping center. The event was also supported by the municipality with financial assistance. Unlike the regular weekday distribution of hot meals, this event will feature 800 baked goods, fruit, and a care package containing 12 non-perishable food items—including Christmas candy, a favorite among children—to help make the holidays more joyful for those in need.
Among Budapest’s districts, Óbuda has set a good example for the others for more than ten years through its exemplary care for its disadvantaged residents. Food for Life, a humanitarian organization run by Hare Krishna devotees and based in the district, distributes free food six days a week. Before Christmas, they distribute non-perishable food—enough to last a week or two—to those in need, which can mean the difference between life and death for many during the harsh winter months.
The aid program will continue through the end of December in Somogy, Heves, and Hajdú-Bihar counties, as well as in the capital, meaning that our fellow citizens in need are receiving assistance at 25 locations.
Warming Up the Soul
A program like this, which distributes food before the holiday season, not only fills the stomachs of those in need but means so much more. It also brings people closer together. These events also provide an opportunity for people facing the greatest challenges—not only physically but also spiritually—to connect with one another, to talk, to experience care and help from others, and to experience love. This is a great asset that is often lacking in the lives of people who are otherwise better off.
We are all part of one big family. Let us, then, care for and pay attention to our fellow human beings, and, if we can afford it, let us contribute to helping those in need.
By clicking on the link below, you can contribute to this humanitarian project to distribute food to those in need. Thank you very much!