Poczta Polska supports the 6th edition of the "Caritas Pantry" program
The Polish Post Office has supported the "Caritas Pantry" food aid program. The collaboration with the charity resulted in the issuance of a postage stamp promoting the idea of donating high-quality food withdrawn from sale and distributing it to those in need.
Jarosław Ochendzan, the author of the postage stamp design, gave the stamp a national character by incorporating white and red colors into its background, symbolizing the nationwide nature of the initiative organized by Caritas Poland. This is the largest charitable institution of the Polish Catholic Church, conducting activities worldwide. The foreground of the stamp depicts food products arranged in the shape of a heart. The graphic concept emphasizes the initiative's important message of social solidarity. A limited edition First Day of Circulation (FDC) envelope featuring a photograph of a loaf of bread, a symbol of nourishment, abundance, and prosperity, and a commemorative date stamp featuring the "Caritas Pantry" logo were also introduced.
The idea of the "Caritas Pantry" program
Hundreds of stores and volunteers across Poland are involved in the "Caritas Pantry" program. For six years, volunteers have been collecting high-quality, short-lived food items from stores, wholesalers, and warehouses—meat, fish, dairy products, bread, vegetables, and fruit. They then prepare food parcels for those in need or deliver the products to soup kitchens, food distribution centers, and aid centers, where meals are prepared.
The Caritas Pantry program is implemented by 47 diocesan Caritas and public benefit organizations, employing 1,600 volunteers. Collaborations have been established with major retail chains, which donated a total of over 7,000 tons of food in 2021, worth over PLN 88 million. Over 60,000 people received regular food support in the form of parcels and meals.
This year's postage stamp dedicated to Caritas Polska is not the only philatelic issue promoting the pro-social initiatives of the Catholic charity. In 2021, Poczta Polska commemorated the organization's 30th anniversary by introducing a commemorative stamp designed by Jacek Konarzewski.
About the stamp:
Designer: Jarosław Ochendzan
Number of stamps: 1
Value: PLN 0.30
Circulation: 3,000,000 pcs
Printing technique: rotogravure
Stamp format: 31.25 x 25.5 mm
Paper: fluorescent
Sales sheet: 100 stamps
Date of introduction into circulation: March 15, 2023