The food pantry Rat und Tat St. Elisabeth was founded in December 2007, and they collect food from supermarkets and bakeries for sale at 10-20% of retail value to those in need.  Today, they also receive food and household necessities from wholesalers – for large volumes, the logistics and distribution are coordinated by the regional hub of “Tafeln” in Mannheim, for collection by local food pantries in the Rhine-Neckar region.  Currently, Rat und Tat St. Elisabeth collects food from 16 supermarkets and 9 bakeries.  According to Mr Körnig, the German “Tafeln” has a nationwide cooperation agreement with Aldi and REWE.  Other supermarkets they work with are Lidl and Rossmann.  Participating bakeries are K&U, Kamps and Café Frisch.  There are 2 other food pantries in Heidelberg, and all three talk to each other to make sure each gets enough food from the regional pool of suppliers.

Rat und Tat St. Elisabeth typically receives items from 4 broad categories:

1.  Fresh produce which are damaged on the surface but otherwise edible (unsold ready-to-eat salads are given away for free)

2.  Market surplus or change in packaging from manufacturers and wholesalers – items can include household products such as laundry detergent, hairspray, baby formula

3.  Food items within 7 days of their “Verbrauchsdatum” from supermarkets and bakeries – anything past their use-by dates will be destroyed at the Pfistererhof Biogasanlage in Heidelberg
4.  Food items which have passed their MHD but can still be used (Mr Körnig is required to sample these products before the start of each business day to see if the color, smell and consistency have changed)

Food pantries need volunteers in order to function.  Volunteers collect food from suppliers, sort them out and help with shopkeeping.  At Rat und Tat St. Elisabeth, in addition to Caritas part-time employees like Mr Körnig, there are volunteers from the “Bundesfreiwilligendienst” (nationwide organization of volunteers), as well as jobless folks and students who help out for 2.30 Euro per hour (but not exceeding 200 Euro per month).  Running a food pantry is a challenging job – for instance, personnel are needed to manage the logistics of food collection including truck waiting time at suppliers, to keep track of incoming food donations and sales, to schedule duty roster of available volunteers, and to make sure the facility meets strict German hygiene standards (the German “Warenkontrolldienst” conducts regular checks).

Lately, there is increasing dependence on food pantries to feed the needy, and pressure is building.  Mr Körnig cites the example of the Nürnberger Tafel, which shut down unexpectedly early this October because its 160 volunteers were consistently overwhelmed by collecting and distributing 25 tonnes of food 5 days per week to the needy.  City authorities could not offer assistance, and consequently, roughly 6000 people went hungry for 10 days.  In the meantime, the Bayerische Rote Kreuz stepped in to help tide things over till this Christmas.  The city of Nürnberg is now looking for a new sponsor for the Nürnberger Tafel.

I asked Mr Körnig how we, the general public, could help out, and he lists the following:

1.  Material donations – for example, diapers, and non-perishable staple foodstuffs.  Large supermarket chains and small retail grocery stores have improved their inventory planning, removing far fewer items from the shelves and discounting items that are about to expire.  The food-pantry trucks are still getting enough fruits and vegetables, but there has been a steady decline in the supply of pasta, dairy products and meat.

2.  Cash donation – the foodstuffs may be free, but collecting them is costly. Like many food pantries, Rat und Tat St. Elisabeth maintains refrigerated trucks, and there is also fuel cost.  Donors will be provided an official receipt for claiming tax deduction.

3.  Volunteer time – as the famous saying goes, “the best gift you can give someone is your time”.  Even if it’s just once every 2 weeks for a few hours, and if it’s not a busy day, volunteers are welcome to stay at the food pantry and interact socially with fellow volunteers and customers alike.

Food Pantries in the Rhine-Neckar region

Here is a list of several food pantries in the Rhine-Neckar region. If you would like to help in any way, drop by the one nearest you.  “Jeder gibt, was er kann” – everyone gives what they can.