– We can not do it. There are no food centers in Norway that can cover the needs, says Bjørn Måøy, general manager of the Food Center in Vestfold and Telemark.
Måøy is worried about the time before Christmas. It’s a concern that has increased now compared to previous Christmas seasons, she says.
Last year, the Food Center distributed 500 tons of food in Larvik alone. This year it will exceed 620 tons, says Måøy.
– The clouds are very dark now and all this winter. There has been a growing need across the board, without exception.
Was Østlands-Posten who first mentioned the matter.
The bags are running out …
TOUGH: Måøy says it must be difficult to distribute food to those who need it in food queues. Because the bags run out, but the queue doesn’t.
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Before, it was minimal retirees, drug addicts and single parents who first noticed the interest rate hikes, says Måøy. They were usually the ones who struggled from the start.
There are now also refugees from Ukraine, families with young children and newly created people who have struggling jobs, adds Måøy.
– They’re struggling to get food. This says a lot about the situation. For them, it’s a long step to have to ask for food, I think. They are trying to make ends meet, but today that is not possible with those prices.
Måøy says the Food Center always feels a special responsibility before Christmas. Because they don’t have enough food.
– Not feeling well. I am very worried about hungry people.
Måøy himself is happy that he is not the one who distributes food to those in need.
– The bags run out, but the queue doesn’t. Saying “unfortunately we don’t have any more” must be crazy.
… but the tail no
Around Christmas it’s cold and people have a lot of accounts, says Lars Erik Bakke. He is a leader of the Church’s City Mission Vestfold, which now needs full preparation.
– It is clear that we share the concern with the Food Center. This is why it is important to collaborate now. We can’t do it alone, Bakke says.
He also says that there is a whole new group of people who are now asking for help. This is especially true for families with several children and single parents. She also adds that there are now more people who need a place to live.
CONCERNED: Lars Erik Bakke is a leader of the Church’s City Mission Vestfold. He also shares the concerns of the Matsentralen right now ahead of Christmas. Photo: Kirkens Bymisjon Vestfold
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– It is shameful and very difficult for people to seek help. We receive daily inquiries from new groups. It’s hard to drive here now, Bakke says.
Before the crown pandemic, the Church City Mission in Vestfold distributed one million meals. Bakke now sees a greater need emerging and says it is an urgent situation for ordinary people.
– Now it’s bad enough.
Bakke sees this in the context of rising food prices, electricity costs and high interest rates. Those who have little now have even less, he says.
Dag Østby is a communications consultant in the Church’s City Mission Vestfold. He says they get their food for free, but then they also have to give it out for free.
– It looks very nice, but then we have to pay the VAT. There are more people who want to pay a token sum to feel dignified than they are an ordinary man on the street, says Østby.
At the same time, the local business community is manifesting more than ever, he adds. They receive weekly inquiries from individuals who want to help.
Big expenses
ONLINE: Irish Kristine Kruse and Ronny Polland along with Bjørn Måøy have just received eggs from a private donor. The local business community is emerging more than ever, says Dag Østby, communications consultant at the Church City Mission in Vestfold.
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The Vestfold food center and Telemark itself have big expenses. In Larvik, they received an electricity bill of 30,000 in the first quarter.
In the following quarter, the bill was 200,000. The food center has a refrigerator and freezer that must be kept running at all times and has received electrical assistance for the last quarter. But there is no guarantee of getting electricity support again, says Måøy.
– We go around and we are restless. Without the support of power, we have to squeeze here and there. She had gotten tough.
The food center has no income other than what it receives from government support for day-to-day operations.
- There are 75 different organizations that come to the Larvik Food Center to collect food.
- In total, there are 500 organizations and 220 suppliers in Norway.
- Last year, the Larvik Food Center distributed one million meals. There were 20 million meals throughout the country.
