FEAD 2018 Catalogue of case studies

For more information regarding the project, contact Veronika L iscinska, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic: E-mail: veronika.liscinska@employment.gov.sk WHO? The project is led by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic. Partner organisations are responsible for distributing food and toiletry packages from districts to every municipality or town, and for carrying out the accompanying measures. Finally, the FEAD Operational Programme working group defines the content of the packages. This working group is composed of representatives from the Managing Authority, the Certifying Authority, beneficiaries and representatives from the municipalities who are interested in the project, charities, the Red Cross and other non-profit organisations. The Ministry identifies FEAD recipients centrally, based on regularly updated administrative data, and relays this information to partner organisations so that they can plan their distribution accordingly. Each partner organisation has been allocated distinct territorial units : Caritas is responsible for 41 districts, the Red Cross operates in 36 districts, while the St Alžbeta charity focuses on 2 districts. This division of labour enables over 85 000 food packages and over 57 000 toiletry parcels to be delivered across the country at each distribution round. Toiletry packages are usually provided once a year, while food packages are distributed twice a year. In exceptional circumstances, the Central Office authorises additional distributions. In cities and villages, the distribution of food and toiletry packages is usually conducted in administrative or other public buildings . As people living alone, the elderly and disabled people face a distinct set of challenges, partner organisations and affiliates deliver aid directly to their home , to ensure the most vulnerable people truly benefit from the intervention. This also helps to build contact with those who need it the most, and allows tailoring support according to their specific needs. The distribution of food and basic materials is an ideal first step to approach at-risk individuals , gain their trust, understand their needs and support them in their daily challenges. Such support includes individual counselling about life choices, healthy eating and hygienic habits, information on how to cook and store FEAD products contained in the packages, as well as advice on how to minimise food waste. The partner organisations also provide FEAD recipients with the contacts of other social workers and organisations that can offer them further help and services related to their specific needs. 53 Diverse approaches to supporting Europe’s most deprived: FEAD case studies 2018