The situation is becoming critical: fewer donations and fewer volunteers, the food bank in the Loire is under strain

For twenty years, Gerard Nalte worked as a volunteer at the Loiret food bank. A former France Télécom employee who was fired at the age of 55, he ran a warehouse where donations are stored and redistributed in the Ingres area of ​​activity. But at the age of 75, he decided to take a “second retirement” and leave these very demanding functions that mobilize him in the same way as a permanent job.

“Pickup” is also getting worse

To replace him, the food bank had to resort to hiring a director, a management position that would be a heavy burden on the books: “We don’t have enough volunteers willing to invest in these positions of responsibility. So we have no choice, the work must be done,” explains President Antoine Vitou, who arrived in the country last September.

Between 2021 and 2022, the number of beneficiaries of the food bank – through the social centers and associations it provides – increased by 20%, and last year it increased by a further 8% to reach 18,320 people.

However, at the same time, supplies are declining. From 1340 tons in 2022 they increased to 1225 tons in 2023. In addition, the quality of self-collections from supermarkets is deteriorating. “We often have products that exceed their lifespan and we have a lot of waste. However, this is our main source of fresh food,” the president adds.

To compensate for this, the association must purchase more food, 3% more last year, to reach 5% of the total, in the face of inflation, which, again, puts pressure on its finances…

So the association, which has 52 volunteers and 7 staff, is keen to attract new volunteers who are “in it for the long haul” and has even made it one of its priorities. The stakes are higher as poverty continues to grow.