EU funds help: EU funds helped to save food for people in need

The new warehouse was created by reconstructing a building in Liptál, located between Zlín and Vsetín. "First, we used the grant to buy the property worth CZK 8 675 073. We then repaired it thanks to the Ministry of the Environment who provided another CZK 5 282 228 for the repair. Thanks to the aid programme and the contribution of the company Kayaku Safety Systems Europe, which contributed to the project, the first phase of the reconstruction is finished and we can use the building," said Vendula Kovářová, PBZK Director.

A lot of work is behind the pretty appearance of the building, it looked different before the renovation. "The building was completely run down. It was originally a paint warehouse, so we had to get approval for a change of use, i.e. a food warehouse. The first half of the ground floor is repaired, here we can store food, the second part is still to be reconstructed, which we did not manage to do within the one grant," Kovářová explained.
 
IT WAS READY IN A YEAR
Without the European grant, the new facility could not be created. "It wouldn't be possible at all, it was a 100% grant, that means everything was financed for us. We haven’t had our own warehouse until now," said the director of the food bank. Food for the needy can thus be distributed not only from Otrokovice, that is for the Zlín area, but also from Liptál, which is more accessible for people from Vsetín and its wider hilly surroundings.

"We already have over a hundred client organisations who come and we pack food for them here. Or there is a second option where we prepare the packages directly and distribute them under a new project done by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. So we have distribution points, or we drive around the region and hand out the packages directly to specific families," Kovářová described.

The entire project was completed very quickly, in less than a year the warehouse began to serve its purpose. "Yes, it was quick. We knew we were buying the building in that condition. We were ready and worked hard on the reconstruction from the beginning," said Kovářová, adding that it is not all. They are already preparing the next phase of the works in Liptál. They plan to further improve the building.

"We have a warehouse for the Vsetín area, which is spacious enough to serve multiple purposes in the future. One of them can be processing food in a transformation kitchen - for example, making preserves, baking, cooking jams, drying fruit and vegetables, and the like. We will also educate children and adults about preventing food waste and protecting the environment,” she outlined the plans.
 
THEY SAVE 60 TRUCKS OF FOOD PER YEAR
The food bank not only helps those in need, but it also rescues food, which is important for the environment and contributes to sustainability and thriftiness.

"I think it's very important. It often bothers me a bit that people confuse us with just a food collection. They think that we only collect food donations, but that is only about ten percent of our activity. We drive every day, we rescue food that would otherwise be disposed of, that is crucial. I just recently calculated it, and we save about sixty large trucks of food per year. So the warehouses are essential because we can store something for a longer period of time. We don't necessarily have clients right away for the food we rescue. It wouldn't be possible without a warehouse," Kovářová explained.

The food bank in the Zlín Region was established in 2015. During its existence, it has helped many people in adverse life situations. What is the path of rescued food to those who need it? Sometimes it's not easy. "We have a lot of rescued food, but we don’t find clients for it easily in the Zlín and Vsetín areas because the people there are a bit shy. Elsewhere, such as in larger towns, there are queues in front of the food banks. So we try to explain to people that when they take rescued food from us, they are also saving the environment," said Kovářová, adding that it is not just about non-perishable food.

"We mainly need clients who can cook, because often the food needs further processing. This means we give them, for example, frozen vegetables or something that needs heat treatment, and then they can cook for themselves. For instance, we tend to have a lot of tomatoes in the summer, so they can make tomato purée," she said.
 
"The building was completely run down. It was originally a paint warehouse.
The first half of the ground floor is repaired, we can store food here."
Vendula Kovářová, Director of PBZK
 
MONEY FROM EU FUNDS HELPS TO RESCUE FOOD. The Food Bank in the Zlín Region (PBZK) has its new premises in Liptál. The purchase of the building in which the food bank is now located was paid for by a grant from EU funds exceeding CZK 8 million. The new premises make it possible to save more food from disposal and at the same time provide food to more families and individuals in need. By preventing unnecessary food destruction, PBZK also helps the environment.

Photo: Deník daily/Petr Pelíšek + PBZK archive