More and more Munich residents rely on food from the table and line up in front of the wholesale market. One reason for this is the plight that came with the corona pandemic. 70 percent of Tafel employees belong to the risk group themselves.
- The Corona crisis has exacerbated the need in Munich - more and more people are dependent on the board.
- In the meantime, almost all issuing offices had to be closed.
- But things are moving quickly - thanks to numerous young helpers.
- Here you will find the basic facts about the corona virus * and the corona news from Germany. We also offer you the current number of cases in Germany * on a map. The following recommendations for corona protective measures * are currently available.
Munich - The queue in front of the wholesale market hall extends over several hundred meters. Here people stand for bread, vegetables and pasta , keep a distance of 1.5 meters from the person in front, some pull a wagon behind them - like Rafael V. and his wife Vanessa. "It's all a bit tiring at the moment," he says. "We have three children, my wife is very pregnant ." Then he laughs. "It could be that far at any moment - maybe even here."
The two are at the table for the fifth time. You need this help since Rafael V. lost his job at the beginning of the Corona crisis * . "I had just started training as a hotel specialist, " he says. "After six days I was fired because of Corona." Since then he has been receiving unemployment benefit I. "You can't do anything, you have to go through it now." Until July, he gets the support from the employment agency - he doesn't know what will happen afterwards .
Corona crisis brings Munich table crowd: "No one should be ashamed of it"
Just like Rafael V., so do some other Munichers. "Since Corona, more and more people have come who need help temporarily ," says Hannelore Kiethe, the founder of the Münchner Tafel . “And we want to encourage these people: Those who are currently on a losing streak can come to us. Nobody needs to be ashamed of that. "
Last week the city reported that more than 51,000 Munich residents were registered as unemployed in May - around 5,200 more than in April. At 4.8 percent , this is the highest unemployment rate for May in ten years .
Newcomers in need: Rafael V. and his heavily pregnant wife Vanessa have only recently become customers of the Tafel.
© Achim Schmidt
Corona crisis brings Munich table crowd: More than 3000 young helpers follow the call
So there are also many new faces on the board. For one, those who fell into a crisis with Corona. The big rush came from those who decided to help . When the Münchner Tafel started a call for volunteers at the beginning of the pandemic , people hoped for a few replacement workers - because of the 650 employees on the Tafel , almost 70 percent belonged to the risk group. Have signed on to young workers more than 3,000 .
“We were overwhelmed by this willingness to help, ” says Kiethe. With the contact restrictions , the Munich food bank had to close down almost all of the 27 issuing offices - they were not Corona-compliant. But the table never closed. "We have moved everything to a central location ," says Hannelore Kiethe. “There was enough space at the Grossmarkthalle for minimum clearances. We worked on the logistics day and night so that we could continue seamlessly. ”
Corona crisis brings Munich's food supply: police control protective measures also by helicopter
Again and again, the police checked whether mask requirements * and hygiene rules * were observed . "Once they even flew over the site in a helicopter," says a board member. In the meantime, many of the issuing offices have been allowed to open again - and according to Kiethe, by the end of this week, food will be distributed in 20 places again.
Rafael V. says: “What the board does is a great achievement . This gives me the incentive to look for a job that I can help others with. ”His former job in the security service is no longer an option for him. “I always had night shifts , slept during the day, and there were always dangerous situations. If you have four children, it just doesn't fit. "
Familiar faces: Hannelore Kiethe, here together with football legend Paul Breitner, founded the Münchner Tafel.
© sleep
Corona crisis brings Munich table crowd: couple fills handcart with seven shopping bags
The couple's handcart is filled with seven packed shopping bags as the two leave the delivery point at the wholesale market hall. For Vanessa S. there is even a bouquet of white chrysanthemums. As Rafael V. said: Everything is a bit tiring at the moment. Still, they're happy. And soon one more.
* merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
Kathrin Braun