More and more people fleeing, high energy costs and inflation: for a year now, the food banks in the district have seen a sharp increase in the number of people in need.
The Weilheimer Tafel can no longer cope with this.
District
– In the town of Weilheim, which has a population of 22,000, the food bank currently supplies 600 people – more than twice as many as before.
“There is a waiting list that is constantly growing.
The Tafel has been working at the limit for months, and there is no end in sight to the ever-increasing demand.
Those responsible have now decided to impose a freeze on admission with immediate effect," says a statement from the management team led by Wolfgang John and Christian Hüsken.
Weilheimer Tafel at the limit: 70 people on the waiting list
The high number of war refugees from Ukraine and other countries is one reason for the crisis, along with inflation and high energy costs.
In addition, more people who stayed away from the panels during Corona are said to be coming again.
Around 70 people are currently on the waiting list.
“It just doesn't make sense to keep this list growing any longer.
The waiting time is simply too long,” says Wolfgang John.
You want to try to take care of the waiting people first.
"We need a breather," John said.
The drop in food donations has also exacerbated the Tafel's problems.
Supermarkets have recently started offering discounted foods that are about to expire.
As a result, the panels would receive fewer donations.
"Our warehouses are empty, we work from week to week," says John.
The high number of people in need also poses great challenges for the around 60 helpers, and there is also the cramped space in the evangelical parish hall.
It is currently not possible to say whether and when the recording freeze will be lifted, says John.
"We'll get back together in a few months."
(The local newspapers in the Weilheim-Schongau district are represented on Instagram under “merkur_wm_sog”.)
The situation is more relaxed at the “Gift Table” in Peißenberg
In Peißenberg - there is a "gift table" instead of a table - the situation is more relaxed.
"Things are looking good for us thanks to many donations, we can take care of everyone," said Rudolf Fischer from the board of the gift table.
The volunteers buy groceries for around 600 euros every week and thus provide for around 80 to 90 families on average, that's over 250 people, including around 50 Ukrainians.
But a drop in supermarket donations is also noticeable in Peißenberg - especially for fresh vegetables, according to Fischer.
The gift table is responsible for the communities of Peißenberg, Hohenpeissenberg and Böbing.
Weilheimers, for example, are not allowed to shop there for one euro because the ID cards are only valid for the responsible municipality.
dependent on donations
Due to the current situation, the Tafel are dependent on donations more than ever.
The donation addresses:
Weilheim table:
Sparkasse Oberland, IBAN: DE82 7035 1030 0009 0931 96
Schongau table:
Bank for Social Economy IBAN: DE 42 7002 0500 0004 8192 00
Penzberg table:
Sparkasse Oberland, IBAN: DE39 7035 1030 0009 1900 00, use: donation.
Gift table Peißenberg:
Sparkasse Oberland IBAN: DE63 7035 1030 0009 2469 92
In Penzberg, too, the Tafel is still well positioned.
“We have enough helpers and enough food.
We have never considered stopping admissions," says Christine Geiger from the management team.
Although the amount of donations fell a little after Christmas, it was still high enough that food could be bought week after week.
According to Geiger, the discounter “Lidl” is also a great help for the Penzberger Tafel, which has recently also been supporting the local Tafel.
"In general, we are very grateful for what the local markets give us," says Geiger.
In Penzberg, around 100 needy people come to the Tafel every week, which means that around 400 people are cared for.
A year ago there were 40 people a week who came to the Tafel.
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Tafel in Schongau: "Can't take care of everyone we would like to take care of"
The situation in Schongau has been tense for a long time.
There is no freeze on admission, says Stefan Schütz from the Diakonie Herzogsägmühle, which is responsible for running the Schongauer Tafel.
However, “we cannot care for everyone we would like to care for”.
Some people seeking help are therefore on a waiting list.
The Schongauer Tafel team is trying to dismantle them.
"As soon as capacities become free, someone who can then visit the table moves up," says Schütz.
There are just a lot of people in life situations that make the table attractive.
Schütz agrees with the assessments of the Weilheimer Tafel, whether due to flight or poverty due to inflation.
However, Schütz was not able to observe that the amount of food donations had collapsed.
Still, you would need a lot more.
Even if there is currently only an admission freeze at the Weilheimer Tafel in the district, this is by no means an isolated case.
Nationwide, around a third of all food banks in Germany have had to take this step in the past few weeks.
Also read: Peiting gets its own board.
By the way: everything from the region is also available in our regular Schongau newsletter.
And in our Weilheim-Penzberg newsletter.