National food collection underway in Czechia

People around Czechia are donating food and basic hygiene products for the needy on Saturday within the bi-annual National Food Collection.

Some 2,000 shops and supermarket chains around the country have joined the collection to help seniors, singles mothers, the handicapped, disadvantages families and children in care homes. People can also donate products bought online.

According to Aleš Slavíček, executive chairman of the Czech Federation of Food Banks, the demand for food aid has risen steeply in recent months, increasing by 20 to 30 percent in some regions.

Last year, food banks supported around 300,000 people, but there are significantly more that would need help, with around a million people in the country living on the brink of poverty.