LDS Charities provided the Estonia Food Bank to purchase food for Ukraine. Once a month, when purchased food comes to the warehouse, located in Tallinn, the food is loaded on trucks, driven to Ukraine and dropped off at a hub in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Estonia food bank also provides for the Ukrainian refugees who have fled Ukraine and are residing in Tallinn and surrounding communities.
Estonia Food Bank helps the vulnerable population through other donations:
The Food Bank owns trucks that deliver food to other Charities such as: The Children's Shelters, Elderly Home Care facilities, and homeless shelters.
They also deliver outside of Tallinn to 15 other cities and villages. Volunteers from other cities and villages sometimes drive to Tallinn and pick up food for those who are at home and not able to leave.
The Food Bank works with the Social Workers of the city. Each day a list of recipients is provided for those who are in need of food assistance. Once a week the recipients get 2 bags of food. One bag of nonperishable items, and the other bag of fruits, vegetables, milk and meats. If the family has more than 4 people they receive 4 bags. If the family has small children, diapers, baby care items, and baby food are provided.
The food bank is open from 8:00 AM to 10:00PM. Ukrainian refugees come from 6:00PM-10:00PM.
Local food merchants drop off "day old produce" in the evening, also canned goods from Monday through Friday. The volunteers and workers go through each item to make sure it is fresh. If an item has expired then the food bank throws it out.
The warehouse is constantly busy with workers and volunteers. The Food Bank has 5 employees and over 50 volunteers. They work in shifts.
Estonia Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints volunteer once a week at the Food Bank. The Food Bank has many local donors besides the grocery stores. Food is donated by larger businesses, private individuals, and local merchants. LDS Charities has been helping Estonia for several years. The government provides the list of people to the Social Workers, and money to help fund the warehouse. The Food Bank just had a campaign for the Refugees and placed boxes and signs out during the months of April and May. The campaign ended but people still come and donate to the cause. Because of the crisis in Eastern Europe food prices have risen significantly. It is difficult for the director to negotiate prices with organizations outside of Estonia. Food takes a while to be delivered. Sometimes their warehouse is almost empty, then a shipment comes in and they are full again. In one week over 10,000 recipients are benefiting from the Food Bank.
