Red Cross Hunger Day box collection raises 640,000 euros

A total of around 7,500 volunteer collectors from all over Finland took part in the Finnish Red Cross’s Hunger Day box collection. Donations from the box collection and sales events held by volunteers totalled 640,000 euros over the course of three days. The funds will be directed to the Disaster Relief Fund of the Finnish Red Cross. 

“I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to every collector and donor. Recently, we have seen just how important it is to be able to provide rapid assistance in times of crisis, for example following the devastating floods in Nepal. Donations make it possible to provide aid both in Finland and around the world," says Finnish Red Cross Head of Fundraising Sirpa Solehmainen.

Proceeds from the box collection campaign have fallen since last year, when donations totalled 710,000 euros during the same period. The Hunger Day collection will continue online until 9 October, and the total amount raised will be announced at a later date.

“This year, our other fundraising activities have shown that people’s ability to donate is somewhat more limited than before. The trying times in terms of the economy may, in part, be reflected in people’s hesitance to make donations. It is particularly valuable that thousands of people give their time as box collectors, as fundraising is an effective way of making a significant difference in a short space of time,” Solehmainen says.

Rapid assistance from the Disaster Relief Fund

Donations made on Hunger Day are not earmarked in advance for a specific country or cause, and can therefore be used to provide rapid assistance when a sudden disaster or crisis strikes in Finland or elsewhere in the world. Donations also help to strengthen preparedness for future crises.

At the moment, funds from the Disaster Relief Fund are being used for causes such as helping those who have lost their homes in the devastating floods in Nepal, supporting ambulance services in Gaza and the West Bank, and supporting efforts to combat the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its neighbouring countries. In Finland, funds from the Disaster Relief Fund are used three times per week on average to help people who have lost their homes in a fire, for example.