Food aid distribution points of food banks in the Czech Republic
In July 2023, the Czech Federation of Food Banks in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs launched the Food Aid Dispensaries project. We are gradually building a new joint network of 150 dispensing points into the existing network of fifteen food banks across the country. These dispensaries will periodically provide food aid in hard-to-reach locations or to people who need assistance and have not been able to access it before. The dispensaries operate either as mobile dispensing points (called mobile dispensaries) or at static locations in larger cities where food aid is regularly dispensed.
WHO IS THE AID FOR?
It is important to emphasise who benefits from food aid. These are mainly single parents, large families, children and adolescents in an unfavourable living situation, the elderly, the disabled and other people who are socially excluded or living in socially excluded localities. Municipal social workers and NGOs decide who is eligible for food aid. Food banks do not determine people's need, but ensure that aid is distributed efficiently.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
People in need contact a social worker, the social welfare department in their municipality or a non-profit organization. They assess the situation and decide on eligibility for food aid. The recipient of food aid is registered in a central register and is assigned a dispensary in the vicinity. On the basis of this referral, the person concerned goes to the dispensary, presents a certificate of eligibility for food aid (voucher) and collects the food aid package. The food banks prepare packages for their clients from the currently available range, taking into account the beneficiary, for example including baby food and hygiene for families with young children.
The content of the packages, the number of people supported and the choice of the dispensing point will respond to the situation in the region and the capacity of the regional food bank during the project. For people from all target groups, the dispensaries will primarily bring fast, efficient, maximally transparent and safe provision of food aid, without the need to use social services.
Project CZ.03.02.02/00/22_100/0001396 co-financed by the European Union
