Overview
- Volunteer ranks rose by about 2,000 this year to roughly 77,000, according to Tafel Deutschland.
- Roughly one third of branches still urgently seek helpers despite the increase in volunteers.
- About a quarter of locations operate waiting lists or temporary admission stops to manage demand.
- Operational demands have grown, especially in logistics, and some sites extended opening hours to ease access constraints.
- Food rescued from supermarkets and discounters is trending lower, which Tafel attributes to digitization and more sustainable retail practices.