Every day from Monday through Saturday, we start early in the morning, when most people are still asleep. Since I\u2019ve been a devotee of Krishna for 20 years, getting up early comes naturally to me. We start cooking at dawn and prepare to portion out the meals. Half the team heads out to pick up donations from the Food Bank\u2014that is, vegetables, fruits, and baked goods in good condition that have been salvaged from food waste\u2014and then we sort through them. For us, the quality of the food is essential. We prepare the cars for the run. Each has its own route, so we transfer the food into food containers and distribute the supplementary products we received as donations. The cars return in the afternoon, followed by several hours of cleaning. Cleanliness is the cornerstone of our work. We end the day with a group lunch, where we discuss the day\u2019s events and prepare for the next day\u2019s cooking.<\/p>\n
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What are the biggest challenges in your job?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Ever since I\u2019ve been in charge of food distribution, I can say that no two days are the same. I always have plans, but I have to be flexible and adjust them as needed. If there are fewer volunteers on a given day, I pitch in with the distribution myself. If there aren\u2019t enough cooks, I cook. If necessary, I go out to get supplies. Being a leader here means that, in addition to coordinating, you help your team wherever they need you.<\/p>\n Every day brings new challenges. For example, one of the food distribution services in Budapest recently closed, so twice as many people as usual unexpectedly showed up at our public distribution site in N\u00e9pliget. In Budapest and three other counties, we prepare an average of 2,000 meals per day. However, the number of people we serve often depends on whether pensions or welfare payments have been received. When that happens, fewer people come for a few days, but at the end of the month, the number of people seeking assistance rises again.<\/p>\n The lack of volunteers during working hours and summer vacations is also a challenge. We need volunteers not just at Christmas\u2014we could use 5 to 8 helpers on weekdays as well! But moving and storing donations and goods that arrive before special food distributions in the courtyard and the warehouse has long been a challenge. Hopefully, this will soon be resolved thanks to a new property.<\/p>\n If someone wants to help with food distribution, how can they really make a difference?<\/em><\/strong> As I mentioned, it\u2019s a big help when someone can assist with behind-the-scenes work at our Budapest office. We\u2019ve even hosted corporate team-building workshops here, but many students fulfill their mandatory volunteer hours with us. For example, when a farmer calls to say they\u2019d like to donate their entire zucchini harvest to us, it\u2019s a unique opportunity, but processing it would require an entire team.<\/p>\n However, we don\u2019t really know what to do with used toys and clothes\u2014unfortunately, we often receive them. Our principle is: \u201eOnly give to others what you would expect for yourself!\u201d And a good portion of the clothes are in such poor condition that we\u2019re reluctant to distribute them. Of course, there are times when we receive high-quality donations, which truly brings us joy. Basically, we\u2019re set up to distribute food, not clothes or toys.<\/p>\n How does food distribution help families in need?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Thanks to the daily food distribution, our guests are able to save money for other expenses, such as rent, medication, and utilities. A hot lunch is also a great help to the elderly because it means they don\u2019t have to shop for groceries or cook using their meager pensions. Together with the supplementary items, we are able to provide food for practically the entire day, which offers tangible assistance. Through cooperation with various social service providers, we can ensure that those in need receive comprehensive care. Many people come to the attention of aid organizations thanks to the food distribution program.<\/p>\n Lately, you've been reporting more and more on food distributions in rural areas. Why has the focus shifted to rural areas?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Some parts of the countryside are in a very difficult situation, with extremely high unemployment. Job opportunities are available almost exclusively in larger cities, and getting there is time-consuming and eats into one\u2019s paycheck. There are also fewer aid organizations, and the assistance they provide is so meager that it generally does not cover monthly expenses. It\u2019s a stalemate.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mlboudouzrm7.i.optimole.com\/ydlSmFQ-jLBZHNOG\/w:400\/h:267\/q:auto\/https:\/\/krisna.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/RS3115_BI_20161108_0307.jpg\")
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\n<\/strong>We gladly accept large product donations from companies. However, financial donations are currently the most helpful. We can use them exactly where they\u2019re needed most. In addition, 1% tax donations also make a big difference!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mlboudouzrm7.i.optimole.com\/ydlSmFQ-kL1xtOps\/w:400\/h:267\/q:auto\/https:\/\/krisna.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/%C3%89lelmez%C3%A9s-Vil%C3%A1gnapja-%C3%A9teloszt%C3%A1s-2019-TAS-27.jpg\")
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