Hungry families: Soforthilfe from the Red Cross urgently needed!

Hungry families: Soforthilfe from the Red Cross urgently needed!

The challenges in the social field are becoming increasingly pressing: more and more people are fighting poverty in Austria, and the demand for food in social institutions is increasing rapidly. Current figures from the Red Cross show that 2,900 purchases are recorded every week at the 35 output offices alone, as reported Noe.orf.at . The spokeswoman for the Red Cross Lower Austria, Sonja Kellner, emphasizes the urgency of food donations, which are becoming increasingly rare due to falling surpluses from the supermarkets. This has a direct impact on the needy who rely on these donations.

rising inquiries, decreasing help

The decline in food donations is also reflected in the "Soo Gut" social markets, where the purchases have also increased, said Ursula Oswald from "Soo good". Fresh products and hygiene articles are particularly in demand. Caritas emphasizes that every little donation can be decisive. At the same time, the Red Cross reports on a stable number of volunteers who did over 2.4 million hours of free work in 2023. This shows the enormous scope of the organization for society, since around 2,773 people in the emergency services are looked after every day, so redeskreuz.at .

Nevertheless, the helpers also have to deal with the increasing number of people in need. Team Austria Tafel determines an increase of 17 percent in the distribution for 2023, which is due to inflation and the high cost of living. Psycho-social help offers are also becoming increasingly important because the red cross offers innovative courses such as "psychological first aid" to support people in crisis situations. The aim is not only to distribute food, but also to strengthen society as a whole and to support people in acute emergencies.