5,000 Christmas Packages for Families in Need

For those in need in Austria, Christmas should be a little nicer. Therefore, the Team Austria Table started distributing 5,000 family Christmas packages with consumer goods and toys at its 127 distribution points on Friday. "1.53 million people in Austria are at risk of poverty, which is 17 percent of the population. 336,000 people are even manifestly poor," reminded Gerald Schöpfer, President of the Austrian Red Cross.

The distribution of free food at the Team Austria Table is a significant relief for many people for their already strained household budget, according to the Austrian Red Cross (ÖRK) in a press release. During Advent, the joint project of the ÖRK together with the ORF radio station Ö3 offers special assistance.

Support for Families with Children

"These packages primarily support families with children," emphasized actor Gregor Seberg, Red Cross ambassador for people in need. "Children suffer particularly from poverty, especially during the Christmas season they have to do without many things." The family Christmas packages are intended to provide at least a small ray of hope in difficult times. "They contain long-lasting products of daily use. Such as pasta, jam, spices, and drinks. Hygiene products like shower gel or soap are also distributed. Especially for children, there is chocolate and small toys," said Seberg.

Since 2010, the Team Austria Table has been saving food and distributing it to people in need. At the distribution points, 6,000 volunteer staff are deployed. More than 24,000 households are registered, and 60,000 people are regularly supported. The poverty risk threshold according to Statistics Austria (currently for a single-person household 1,661 euros per month) serves as a guideline for eligibility. In 2024, there were 420,000 pickups, during which 6,000 tons of goods were distributed.

All information about distribution points, locations, and opening times can be found at https://www.roteskreuz.at/ich-brauche-hilfe/team-oesterreich-tafel

(APA/Red)

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