Aid for the needy - Donations coming in, helpers wanted: "Restaurant of the heart"
After a three-year break, people in need can eat at the"Restaurant des Herzens" in Erfurt again. After takeaway offers during the coronavirus pandemic and a break due to construction work, helpers have set the tables again. The willingness to donate has not been a problem so far, said Petra Hegt, Managing Director of the Evangelical City Mission before the opening on Wednesday. "But we need volunteers." The number of helpers has halved this year to 15: Some had simply become too old for the sometimes strenuous tasks, said Hegt.
Dependent on donations of money and goods
She assumes that around 100,000 euros will be needed again this year to continue the service. "We have to buy additional food, and our electricity costs have not gone down either." Private individuals, companies and associations donate money, food, but also items that the children among the restaurant visitors receive as gifts.
For a symbolic euro, those in need receive a hot meal, coffee and cake in the restaurant. There is also an entertainment program. "In the past, we've had days with 150 visitors and days with 60," said Hegt. The occupancy rate depends on the menu, the weather and sometimes on pension payments. Many Ukrainian women with children also took advantage of the offer last year, for example.
More than 100,000 recipients of citizen's allowance
It is difficult to obtain exact figures on the number of people in need in Thuringia. The Regional Directorate of the Federal Employment Agency put the total number of people entitled to citizen's allowance at around 119,000 for August 2023. Of these, around 31,000 were so-called non-employable beneficiaries. These generally include adults who are unable to work for at least three hours a day and children. The remaining 88,000 or so beneficiaries are people in need of assistance who are in principle able to work but cannot find a job or do not earn enough from their work. Around 2.1 million people live in Thuringia.
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Source: www.stern.de
