Hope and community spirit as pillars of food aid
A group of operators from the Central Uusimaa food aid network gathered in Hyvinkää in October for regional "meetings". The aim of the meeting was to network and discuss issues related to food aid – issues that affect an increasing number of residents in our region.
Text: Henna Kärki and Heli Hakulinen
Photo: Heli Hakulinen
The event was part of a joint project on the allocation of state subsidies for food aid, entitled Food Aid Cooperation in Central Uusimaa 2025–2026. The project is coordinated by the municipality of Tuusula. It is being implemented jointly by six municipalities in the region, the welfare area and a large group of food aid operators in the region, i.e. parishes and organisations.
Food aid activities are largely based on voluntary work. The event was intended to recognise the contributors and offer them an opportunity to meet, discuss and share experiences, as well as to thank them for their valuable work on behalf of the residents of our region.
Strengthening community power and hope
The meeting continued the network cooperation that began last year. At the first meeting in autumn 2024, phenomena related to food aid and their root causes were identified, and solutions to them were sought together with the actors involved.
By listening to experiences of food aid and the challenges of organising it, the actors have sought to understand the phenomena and find ways to solve them together.
The themes of the October meeting were strengthening hope and faith in the future, and the importance of community. The discussions highlighted conce s about people’s growing economic and welfare challenges, which are also reflected in the increasing need for food aid. On the other hand, the discussions also reflected optimism and the joy of working together and helping others.
Many people who use food aid services seek help across municipal boundaries, and for some, the threshold for accessing services can be high. Food aid providers reported that they also encounter prejudice towards people in need of assistance in their daily work. Therefore, respectful interaction and equal treatment are considered particularly important.
The event highlighted that people need other people and that communities provide a supportive force.
Together we are more
The atmosphere at the event was warm, and according to feedback, the discussions were found to be meaningful. “A positive meeting, great to network with people working in the same field,” said one participant. There were calls for more events like this, and new opportunities for collaboration were already being outlined.
This is a good place to continue – together we are stronger.
This content has been translated using AI
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