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Global snapshots: the Bulgarian Red Cross

By Elizabeth Hendry
March 31, 2010 at 10:30 am

“I’m helping to build a community free from hunger”: How ‘food banks’ are enabling the Bulgarian Red Cross to ensure vulnerable pensioners no longer need to go hungry

Six years ago, the Bulgarian Red Cross established a scheme of food banks to support low-income elderly pensioners struggling to survive on meagre pensions. The idea was simple: canned food is donated and stored in a ‘bank’, from where food parcels are delivered to vulnerable pensioners who are unable to leave their homes.

Tzanka Milanova, food banks co-ordinator, says: “The Bulgarian Red Cross has a long history of working with elderly people, who are often extremely vulnerable because of the lack of welfare support. However, this has traditionally been about providing short term assistance and we were struggling to find a means of offering more sustainable support. We wanted to do something that actively involved these communities and offered a longer term solution.”

The scheme was established following a six month engagement process with local communities to identify what elderly people most wanted and needed. This involved setting up local working groups and organising community forums made up of beneficiaries, community groups, local government and businesses – and, of course,  local Red Cross branches.

And there certainly was a pressing need. As Dr. Slavita Dzhambazova, deputy director general, explains: “When we asked low-income pensioners to name their single most urgent need, over 50 per cent chose food. More than one in ten reported going for a day or more without eating because there was nothing available to eat. That was the reason we selected the food bank.”

Since 2007, the Bulgarian Red Cross has successfully replicated the food bank model in four new regions of the country where the schemes are fully operational using local resources and volunteers. At the same time, the branches that originally pioneered the scheme have developed new co-operation models and, as a consequence have been able to expand the services and reach more people.

For example, in the region of Stara Zagora, the food bank is now managed by a coalition trust between the Bulgarian Red Cross, the Community Donation Fund and nine other organisation. Meanwhile, the Red Cross branch in Pazardzhik has transformed the food bank into a non-commercial joint venture for community service founded by the local authorities, Red Cross, local NGO’s and businesses. This led to 50 more people being reached every month.

The Bulgarian Red Cross attributes the success of the scheme, which has reached over 32,000 people since it began, to a strong, sustainable concept that responds directly to the needs of communities. Tzanka explains: “Thanks to the partnerships, volunteer time and food donation initiatives, for every 1 Bulgarian lev [national currency] invested into the food banks, we are able to distribute 3 levs worth of food.”

The scheme has also had a positive social impact, both for its volunteers and in terms of fostering a sense of community. A pensioner volunteer from Shumen says: “I love volunteering at the food bank. Not only am I helping to build a community free from hunger, but I am also able to provide better food to my family. It feels good to work for what I receive.”

In December 2009, the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Food announced the strong willingness of the Bulgarian government to adopt the food bank model across the country. One volunteer says: “We are delighted that our government is looking to roll out food banks. As a pioneer in this field in Bulgaria, we are keen to provide our experience and resources to reach even more communities.”

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Tags: bulgaria, food crisis, global snapshots, International Federation, Movement

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