Photo exhibition lends voice to recipients of food aid

The empowering photography project of the Finnish Red Cross involved meeting with 23 people in the Lapland and Oulu districts. The photo subjects told their own unique stories.

In the online photo exhibition, food aid recipients describe their own experiences and life through photographs, stories and videos.

The exhibition strives to increase awareness and discussion about food aid and shed light on the various reasons of needing to take advantage of it.

Encounters are extremely important

The aim of the exhibition is to provide hope and highlight the importance of helping others. Encountering and interacting with another person can be extremely important. For many people, food aid has been a path to getting involved in the activities that have been important to them and help others in need.

The photo exhibition was produced by the Lapland and Oulu districts of the Finnish Red Cross as part of the organisation's Food and Inclusion (Ruokaa ja osallisuutta) project. The stories have been abbreviated for this online exhibition. The original longer stories are available at the physical photo exhibitions of the Lapland and Oulu district.

The Lapland district photos were taken by Jorma Simonen / Avea Media and the Oulu district photos were taken by Emma Moilanen / Finnish Red Cross.

The video in the Lapland district exhibition was created by Jimi Simola / Avea Media.

"In addition to food, I've gained acquaintances who I enjoy chatting with"

"I like angling, which is why I chose a small harbour area as the setting for the photo shoot. As children, we went angling with our family on a regular basis, and I've kept up the hobby in my adult years. These days, I catch fish to eat them myself. Sometimes I hook a bream, which is always exciting.

I started going to food aid in the autumn of 2022. I currently go to one food distribution event a week. FRC's Kastelli distribution point always serves a deliciously seasoned warm meal! In addition to the bag of food, they also have sandwiches and waffles.

A massive thank you to the hardworking FRC volunteers! I'm very thankful for the food aid I’ve received. In addition to food, I’ve gained acquaintances who I enjoy chatting with while I wait."

"FRC is truly handing out nuggets of gold: joy, friendship and communality"

"Nature is a free source of well-being for all of us – as are friends and pets, such as dogs. I got this dog when I needed it the most. And we've now been journeying through life together for 10 years. Perhaps this reindeer dog was meant for me specifically. In addition to allergies, I've suffered from a variety of illnesses for more than two decades. Now, I only hike in the nearby forests with my dog Taika, whereas I used to trek all over the fells of Lapland earlier on. You also learn a lot about other people, visiting the food distribution and community meal events.

I'll tell you, FRC is truly handing out nuggets of gold at these events. If not solid gold, at least little nuggets. Joy, friendship and communality. You gain new friends you can take picking blueberries, for example. Life is more wondrous than we tend to think – it carries you, but you can't really plan it."

"Going to food aid events, you notice you’re not alone or the only one needing help"

"My income is low and food aid helps my finances. At the food aid events, you meet people in various life situations and notice that you're not alone or the only one needing help.

I also volunteer for food aid since I like to cook and bake. The food aid activities have also enabled me to try my hand at cooking with a field kitchen. The volunteer work makes you feel meaningful through having the opportunity to help other people. You also get to know new people.

I like to spend time in nature. My training is also related to interacting with nature. Enjoying nature takes no effort at all. You can pick berries and mushrooms. It’s an important part of life. I enjoy trekking and camping. Nature gives you a sense of empowerment. In the future, I’d like to live as self-sufficiently as possible. It'd be nice to live in the middle of a forest and take advantage of nature's bounty and cultivate a vegetable patch, for example."

"Handing out a bag of food and saying ‘here you go’ – I start tearing up even thinking about it"

"I got involved as a volunteer in FRC's food aid when I saw what they were doing. FRC's activities have always been a huge source of joy and inspiration for me. My friend and I immediately found FRC's activities to be a perfect fit for us.

This feels really nice. Handing out a bag of food and saying ‘here you go’ – I start tearing up even thinking about it. The people there often get really emotional, too.

I get food aid myself and I've found everything to work well – I haven't run into any difficulties and no one has asked any questions. I've helped others by taking bread and foodstuffs to families with a single parent and children. The need is often even greater in a family with children.

The help is also important to me since I'm a widow and I'd like to keep my own home and there have been a lot of repair needs. I really hope I can keep the flat. Otherwise, my life is pretty ordinary – I spend time outdoors and exercise, which is a hobby I really enjoy."

"The people there were amazing"

"My normal day involves waking up, brewing some coffee and getting myself sorted out. Then I go to work and stay there until two. After that, I go home and cook some food and spend time with the kids. I guess that's about it. I take walks and sing a lot – I go to choir practice.

I've always dreamed of being able to study at a university of applied sciences. Now I finally applied and got accepted!

FRC's food aid has been a big help to us, and I really enjoyed the well-being day organised for us Roma women. The people there, the FRC volunteers, were amazing – perfect scores all around."

"The people of the Red Cross are really nice"

"I came to Finland two years ago with my family. I'm an asylum seeker and haven't yet gained a residence permit for Finland. I engage in physical activity, which I enjoy. Life feels pretty empty without hobbies. I have no friends here. I'm often sad.

In the future, I hope to gain a residence permit for Finland as I’d like to live here permanently. I'd like to study information technology and get a job. The Red Cross has helped me. The people are really nice and provide me with food aid. It helps me a lot."

"The Red Cross provides me with food aid, which is helpful"

"I moved to Finland from Morocco two years ago. I have no family here or friends who speak the same language. I go to school and study Finnish but I'm not employed. The Red Cross provides me with food aid, which is helpful. I'd like to stay in Finland because I find the country to be a good place to live."

"The aid has really been a godsend"

"I'm currently unemployed. My day-to-day revolves very around my family. The days start with taking the kids to school, my husband to work and returning home. Then I prepare food for the kids and wait for them to come home. I don't currently have any hobbies, but I used to go to the gym. Even that has fallen off a bit now. I do sew when I have the time.

In recent years, my dream has been to go back to school to study for a supervisory degree.

FRC's food aid has been a big help to me. The aid has really been a godsend."

"The Finnish Red Cross food aid helps me if I need something"

"I came here from Morocco to work. Now my situation is difficult because I do not have the right to work yet. The Finnish Red Cross food aid helps, they give me a bag of food every week, and they help me if I need something.

I have a lot of dreams. I’d like to stay and live in Finland, get a job, a house, and a family. I like the country, the quietness, the weather and the people. I feel Finland is my home now."

"It's been difficult for me not being able to get a job as a deaf person"

"I spend a lot of time at home. Especially genealogy is a hobby that is very dear to me. I also make video calls to friends and talk to them that way. I sometimes go out to town.

With the coronavirus pandemic, I spent an awful lot of time at home by myself. The days seemed to revolve around the same routines. That phase in my life got me stuck in a rut and made it feel difficult to plan ahead. I've always liked to travel, and I used to travel a lot when I was younger. I took trains and backpacked around the world. I've been to Australia and Mexico.

The food aid absolutely provides a bit of help for keeping things going. Since I'm entirely deaf, employers have had somewhat of a difficult attitude towards me. And I even have a good education – I have a bachelor's degree in social work.

It’s been difficult for me not being able to get a job as a deaf person. I always run into the same issue. It's difficult to gain employment when you can only speak in sign language. That said, I'm not the only one. There are many others like me. You can have a good education, but you simply can't find a job. Attitudes make that much of a difference."

"The food aid is a good addition and you get to chat about this and that"

"Sick leave interrupted my best working years, which is why my pension is low. I now do woodworking, which takes up most of my days. I also fish and pick berries. The food aid is a good addition and you get to chat about this and that." – Timo

"I use food aid pretty actively because it's a big help"

"I had a seizure on my last day of work and retired almost immediately. I use food aid pretty actively because it's a big help." – Rainer

"When I was younger, I delivered food to others – not for myself"

"When I was younger, I delivered food to others – not for myself. Now the times have changed. I’m older and worse for wear. I pick up food for myself. It makes day-to-day life easier." – Elli

"I ended up seeking aid from the Red Cross, and I currently work for the organisation to help others"

"I was in a car accident four years ago and found myself in financial trouble because of it. I ended up seeking aid from the Red Cross, and I currently work for the organisation to help others." – Ari

"The food aid is extremely important"

"Park maintenance work was only available in summer, and I was unemployed in winter. I didn’t accumulate much employment pension since the work was so sporadic. The food aid is extremely important." – Reijo

"I've always helped people, which is obviously not reflected by my pension"

"I've always helped people, which is obviously not reflected by my pension. Everything has gotten more expensive. I can make do with little money if nothing unexpected happens." – Ulla

"I'm happy to be able to help others"

"I was in a motorcycle accident as a young man, which led to me having to relearn almost everything. I'm very pleased to be able to work as a volunteer. The car you drive to pick up food doesn’t define the level of need. I'm happy to be able to help others." – Reijo

"The food aid leaves me money to spend on medication"

"In a low-income field the pay isn't great but I find it to be sufficient. You have to organise your life so that the money you get covers everything you need. The food aid leaves me money to spend on medication." – Mauno

"Now I enjoy being able to help other people"

"Standing in line for food aid, I often wondered how I could work there. One day, I mustered up the courage to ask. Now I enjoy being able to help other people. I've made a lot of friends and gained meaning for my life." – Johan-Peter

"Helping others is rewarding, and encountering and interacting with people is very important"

"There's no shame in accepting help when you need it. Every human being is valuable, regardless of their situation. Helping others is rewarding, and encountering and interacting with people is very important." – Jaana and Jukka

"It was pretty nice there with people coming over to chat and say hi"

"Once I retired, I started working as a volunteer at the parish flea market and got to meet new people. It was pretty nice there with people coming over to chat and say hi." – Elvi