Bags with food aid. Photo: Jan Puci
Prague 1 opened a food bank outlet at Řeznická street 14. It is intended for citizens in a difficult financial situation, for example seniors or single parents. Food aid can be picked up every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Representatives of the town hall management presented the place to journalists.
There are now five Food Bank branches operating throughout Prague. It serves citizens in need, especially the elderly, people with medical disabilities or single mothers, who can also receive diapers in addition to food.
Anyone who wants to receive a bag with one week’s aid, including, for example, food, canned goods, rice, pasta, but also baked goods or vegetables, should have a certificate from the labor office or the social department of town halls or from organizations that deal with aid. However, for the first visit, an ID card is sufficient.
“When we perceive that the local capacity is exhausted, we will look for another place where the dispensary could be,” councilor for social affairs Ivana Antalová (née, formerly Piráti). According to her, the capacity of one dispensary is up to 80 people.
Another dispensary is in the nearby Novoměstská town hall, which operates on Mondays. “Up to 80 bags a week will be dispensed at this point of sale and we will see how it develops from there. If there is interest, we will check the possibility of another dispensary,” said Radoměřská.
“The linking of such social support sites is very beneficial because it allows those in social need to get support or information of different kinds in one place,” she added.
According to Antlová, there is generally a lack of durable food, but it is managed to be collected during special events during the year, when people buy goods for the Food Banks when shopping.
In addition to the new branch in Řeznická Street and the one in the New Town Hall, the bank in Prague has a branch in Vršovice for the long-term unemployed and homeless, in Nové Město for seniors and people with a health card, and in Nuslí for mothers with children, who can get food as well as diapers and other baby hygiene.
