Germany’s hidden hunger

On the breadline in Europe’s richest country
Text by Judith Vonberg

CNN 2017, see the full story here

Fuerstenfeldbruck, town in one of Germany’s wealthiest districts and home to the food bank ›Brucker Tafel‹

Erna Dürr, 86, has been using the food bank for around nine months; ›She was really at rock bottom when we found her,‹ says a volunteer

Customers queuing up at the back door of Brucker Tafel, Fürstenfeldbruck

After proving their eligibility, customers are given an identity card that they show as they enter the food bank; The card is stamped with the day’s date

According to the volunteers, the Tafel in Fürstenfeldbruck provides food for around 400 people every week, including 80 to 90 children

›I’m not ashamed to use the food bank,‹ says Lilifier Kus, divorced mother of four children; ›I’m not stealing. I’m not doing anything illegal.‹ Above: Fatima and her family came from Syria as refugees and have been proved eligible by the authorities to enter the food bank

Aferdita Plakolli, 32, visits the food bank with her 2-year-old daughter, Adima; Her husband works as a builder but doesn’t earn enough to feed the family

Erna Dürr

Volunteer Hedwig Fruechtl at the storage room

Customers queuing up at a food bank at Dankeskirche in Munich-Milbertshofen, a low-income residential area in the north of the city; It’s one of 27 distribution points of ›Münchner Tafel‹, a non-profit charitable organization

Auguste Moersch is a regular, she used to have a small market stall for wines and liquors, now she can’t afford her living without help

Dankeskirche

Lea is a voluntary helper for the Münchner Tafel

Peter Schmitz organizes a food bank at Dankeskirche

The percentage of Germans at risk of poverty rose from about 12% in 1995 to roughly 16% in 2014, according to a government report

Lea

This function has been disabled for Jens Schwarz.