Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – The food banks in North Rhine-Westphalia are demanding more support from the new state government for people threatened and affected by poverty. “In the last few months we have had an immense influx of refugees and many people who simply can no longer cope with the money,” said the chairman of the table in North Rhine-Westphalia, Wolfgang Weilerswist, the German Press Agency.
Weilerswist is fundamentally “optimistic” about a government made up of the CDU and the Greens, which is currently conducting coalition negotiations. More support for large families is needed in the future. “The poorest of the poor come to us. They don’t just worry about food, but often about looking for a place to live.” Single parents in particular should be relieved more.
The number of people in need who are looking for help from the food banks in North Rhine-Westphalia has doubled compared to 2020. Hundreds of people queue up in Essen on Wednesdays, reports Weilerswist. However, many of you would have to be sent away again without a Tafel identity card.
With a view to the growing number, Weilerswist demands that support for the food banks also be anchored in the next state budget. “The state often makes it easy for itself and says: Go to the Tafel. But we can’t do it ourselves with donations alone.” Specifically, the food bank needs around 500,000 euros a year for the purchase and distribution of food.
