Some 600 applications for food assistance for Christmas have been submitted to the Salvation Army in Reykjavík this year, according to a statement on their official site. This is roughly three times the number of applications that they received last year, and the demand has prompted them to ask for help from the general public.
470 individuals or couples have already received assistance from the Salvation Army in Reykjavík this month, compared to 170 in December 2019. This assistance is provided in the form of gift certificates for the discount grocery store Krónan.
The increased demand has been met with increased assistance from private companies and organisations. Hjördís Kristinsdóttir, the director of the Salvation Army in Reykjavík, says that Christmas collections have been going well, and they are grateful for the assistance they have received so far.
The Salvation Army traditionally also holds dinners for those alone for the holidays on Christmas Eve. However, with the current pandemic, how these dinners are conducted may change form. This has yet to be determined. Nonetheless, links to registering for the dinner—as well as to donate to the Salvation Army in Reykjavík—are both provided in the announcement.
Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, it’s become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevine’s journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club.
You can also check out our shop, loaded with books, apparel and other cool merch, that you can buy and have delivered right to your door.
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!
