The Friesland chapter of the Red Cross has launched a campaign of providing free food for disadvantaged people and those in need of a meal during hard times, Omrop Fryslân reports.
Around 38,000 people live below poverty line in Friesland, including nine thousand children. The charity group has started providing the most vulnerable families with all the groceries needed to make a full breakfast at least once a week.
Though the campaign is only a few weeks old, the Red Cross says they are experiencing a significant surge in demand for the food aid. In a small neighbourhood with two schools, 164 packages have already been requested in just a few days.
Kitty Smit, a project manager for the Red Cross, believes the demand is likely to rise in the nearest future. “Leeuwarden has 60 primary schools. I think there will be many more requests,” she says.
A great number of parents in Friesland are already finding it hard to pay their bills with a rise in local taxes, energy bills and food costs. The Red Cross aims to provide a lifeline to families struggling to make ends meet, while urging the authorities to address the issue of poverty in a meaningful way.
