Anyone who does not need the 300 euro energy flat rate should donate it – various organizations in Bavaria have called for this. The response is very different, as a survey by the dpa shows. The so-called Aschaffenburg Helpstream collected more than 45,000 euros for the Grenzlos social association. The money will be used to buy groceries and hygiene items for the social department store over the winter. In the department store, those in need can take up to ten items per purchase for the symbolic price of one euro. “Thanks to the donations, we were really able to ensure that the shelves are full,” says association chairman Harry Kimmich. The association needs around 10,000 euros per month to fill the shelves.
Elsewhere, calls for donations tended to trickle down. At Caritas in Würzburg, only two or three people donated their energy allowance. “It wasn’t the hype we wanted,” said a spokesman. However, the effort for the appeal for donations was also low. “It was a shot in the dark and ultimately a shot in the oven.” An appeal by the Greens and the Evangelical Church in Herzogenaurach was only moderately accepted. Just 1600 euros were received. The Catholic Women’s Social Service in Schweinfurt also described its campaign as “moderately successful”. Only a low four-digit sum was collected.
According to its own statements, the city mission in Nuremberg booked a similar amount of donations this winter as in previous years, at a good 200,000 euros. “But it is noticeable that the donations have increased by between 300 and 600 euros,” said a spokeswoman. Normally most people would give less than 100 euros. The one-off energy flat rate of 300 euros was paid to employed persons and pensioners at the end of 2022. Students should receive a one-off payment of 200 euros. Since the lump sum is distributed to all people – regardless of need – several organizations had asked the wealthy to donate their special payment.