The Food for Life Foundation, a charitable organization that carries out the humanitarian work of the followers of Krishna, has been organizing food distributions in Hungary for 30 years, nearly every day of the year. Although the extraordinary economic situation is affecting both the contents of the food packages and the number of servings, the devotees are not giving up: they are continuing to hold the nationwide Christmas Feast of Love this year as well!
The energy and price crisis poses a challenge to every charitable and social service organization. According to a report by the Central Bank, food price increases are far from peaking. Charities are also in trouble because, although people’s willingness to donate remains as strong as ever, their financial means are becoming increasingly limited. This is also evident in the results of the largest domestic food drive, and We can't thank those who selflessly help us in this way enough!
„The Christmas Charity Banquet carries a message. To stop holding it would be tantamount to surrendering to difficult circumstances and abandoning our duty. Is there a crisis? All the more reason to make ends meet and organize the holiday event!” – says Attila Szanyi-Karl, Bhakta Vatszala, a Krishna devotee and pastor, and president of the Foundation.
The food distribution organization provides 3,000 meals a day to large families in need, the elderly, the unemployed, and the sick across the country, but demand is expected to continue to rise. More and more people are joining the line, including those who do have an income but, after paying their utility bills, rent, or medication, can no longer put enough food on the table at current prices.
The "Food for Life" program has been running for 2 years, and the coronavirus pandemic Even back then, it played a huge role in helping people who suddenly found themselves unemployed en masse. And this past spring, the Providing meals for refugees arriving from Ukraine they took on the lion's share, although they also helped sustain the food programs of Krishna centers in Transcarpathia and other parts of Ukraine by delivering food supplies.
Starting this fall, the domestic energy and food crises have become severe. Rising prices are also putting aid organizations in a tight spot. For example, Food for Life is forced to spend 5 million forints more on fuel alone than in previous years, since even as an aid organization, it is required to pay the same prices as businesses. And food rescue and food delivery are impossible without vehicles. Even though they operate a commercial kitchen, they cannot purchase basic food items such as flour or oil at government-regulated prices, as this discount applies only to private individuals. Some cooking ingredients have seen a 100% price increase over the past few months. Sour cream, needed to prepare various vegetable dishes, is now considered a luxury item and is included in meals only thanks to the generosity of donors. To be fair, however, it’s also worth noting that several of the former donors’ businesses went bankrupt as a result of the crisis.
Since the foundation undertakes a public service function, it is eligible for standardized subsidies, receiving exactly 272 forints per meal. At current prices, even a large-scale kitchen would need at least double that amount—550–600 forints—to provide a nutritious and healthy lunch. The meals provided at the food distributions complementary products – baked goods, fruits, raw vegetables, and other small items – from the grocery store come from food rescue initiatives, which is a solution that is also important for the natural environment and offers an excellent opportunity to save money. It is true that sorting, transportation, and storage require additional resources. The cost of purchasing the non-perishable items included in the Christmas food aid packages The organization must manage its finances independently, and the subsidies received from tax code 1% provide tremendous support in this regard.
„We need to completely rethink our holiday food package distribution. We can only purchase the necessary quantities of so-called ”price-capped” products at a price many times higher than the government-set price, so this year we’re replacing them with other useful and healthy staples in the food packages. “We are very grateful to our major donors who contribute hundreds or even thousands of items of essential food staples or treats. Financial donations are also a tremendous help!” emphasizes the Foundation’s president.
This year’s holiday events will take place in Óbuda (Dec. 3), Eger (Dec. 17), Népliget in Budapest (Dec. 24–25–26), and Debrecen. During these nationwide events, nearly 6,000 meals and 4,500 care packages will be prepared for those in need.
„This year, we’ll once again be spending the Christmas holidays in Népliget, next to the Planetarium building. Thanks to long-distance buses, this location is within easy reach even for those in need living in small towns around Budapest,” —emphasizes Mrs. Péter Szilaj, Gandharvika, spokesperson for the Krishna devotees. „From the various messages we’ve received asking for help, we know that never before have so many working people with basic means of subsistence needed our support, especially in rural areas. At our Eger location, for example, an unprecedented number of people are coming for aid. We must urgently overcome our sense of shame. If someone is in trouble, they should immediately contact aid organizations or go to a food distribution site. In crises like this, only working together can help. And if we encounter someone in need, let’s let them know about the Christmas food distribution so they know they can always count on us—this year as well!”
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No matter how uplifting the feeling may be, we know that helping others requires some sacrifice. For the price of a family movie ticket, you can help a family of four get through Christmas. We truly believe, as the old Hungarian saying goes: ”Where two live well, the third won’t go hungry.”