Olsztyn Food Bank rescues food and empowers communities through training, jobs, and zero-waste initiatives

Founded in 2000, the Olsztyn Food Bank (OFB) is a non-profit entity based in Poland with a mission to save food from waste. After acquiring food from excess reserves, OFB donates it to social organisations that provide basic needs support to excluded communities.

In parallel to its food aid services, OFB promotes innovative and inclusive food solutions in the community through educational workshops to promote zero-waste cooking, good shopping habits, and conscious eating. It also runs training and placement programs for youth and individuals facing long-term unemployment, providing courses in professional culinary skills, among others, enhancing their employability and supporting them to enter the labor market.

After the war broke out in Ukraine, OFB has focused its efforts on supporting refugee women to find jobs. The association offers food and catering training, childcare during classes, in addition to psychological support, language courses, as well as help with CV creation and job matching. In 2022, 40% of attendees found long-term employment in the food service sector.