The Tafel in Germany have never helped so many people in need as they do now. "Since the beginning of the year we have seen an increase in customers of 50 percent," said the chairman of the umbrella organization Tafel Deutschland, Jochen Brühl, of the Düsseldorf "Rheinische Post" (Saturday). A total of about two million people would come.

At the same time, food donations have declined. "Around a third of the boards are so overwhelmed that they had to stop admissions," said Brühl. Sending away people who are looking for help is extremely psychologically stressful for helpers.

According to Brühl, the individual fates are striking: "People have great existential fears and worries about how they can pay for food, housing and heating." However, the panels could not catch "what the state cannot do". State aid is "insufficient" and comes too late. "People who come to the Tafel have no reserves. People affected by poverty now need help quickly."

Money alone is no longer enough to live on

Around 960 food banks nationwide distribute food that can no longer be sold to the needy. At the end of September, the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) put the number of people who were at a table in 2020 at almost 1.1 million people, based on a survey.

In addition to ALGII recipients and pensioners, many refugees have also taken advantage of the help of the Tafel since the beginning of the Ukraine war. In addition, more and more people are now coming who can no longer live on their income alone due to rising prices, as Brühl said. Of course, the current high level of inflation also has an impact on the number of visitors, explained DIW researcher Markus Grabka a few weeks ago. High energy advance payments also drew people with not exactly low incomes into the facilities.

With a view to the winter, Brühl expects the situation to deteriorate further and also appealed to society's solidarity: "We are a rich country, we can ensure that everyone gets through this winter well."