Every year for the last four years, Resto du Cœur has distributed a record number of meals to those in need, it announced on Tuesday 17 October on the occasion of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Established in 1985 by a group of students from the Solvay business school, the charity not only distributes hot meals directly to people in need via donations received from individuals and companies, but also acts as a food bank, feeding those in financial difficulties across Belgium.
Resto du Cœur served a total number of 816,832 meals in the first half of 2023 alone. This is a 20% increase on the same period a year earlier and a "worrying situation that calls for attention," the charity states on their website.
670,000 meals distributed over the whole of 2019 (the benchmark year before various crises). This number has increased year on year to a staggering 1,367,817 in 2022. If the pace of the first half of the year continues, 2023 is set to break a new record.
In addition to an increase in the number of beneficiaries, Resto du Cœur is also facing "a vertiginous drop in merchandise". In the first nine months of the year, they received 518,230 kg of unsold goods, compared with 640,455 kg for the same period in 2022, marking a 19% decrease.
To maintain their mission, Resto du Cœur calls on people to "take collective action today to help rebuild the lives of those who live in poverty so that they can fight their way out in a concrete and sustainable manner."
For more information on how to get involved, see here.
