There is a growing need for food aid in various parts of the country. Most of those in need of help are families with children.
A survey of large parishes by YLE shows that people dependent on basic social welfare payments have seen their situation worsen most of late.
The director of diaconal work for the parishes in the city of Tampere, Matti Helin, told YLE that the number of people requesting food supplies has been clearly rising.
"The number of those in need of food aid has gone up by about a quarter this year. It started to rise during the spring, but this autumn there has been a significant increase," said Helin.
YLE asked parishes in Finland's ten largest cities if rising prices for food and other living expenses have been reflected in longer queues for free food supplies. Replies showed that in addition to Tampere, churches in cities such as Turku, Vantaa, Jyväskylä and Pori have seen greater demand.
According to Matti Helin, in Tampere most of the "new" need is found among families with children.
"Just recently families and especially young families are a new group who we are working with," explains Helin.
The Lutheran Church is one of the largest distributors of food aid in the country, but it is also critical of the practice. Its position is that guaranteeing welfare is the job of society, not the job of the church.
Matti Helin argues that for example minimum welfare payments have not kept pace with basic living expenses.
