Exploring Diverse Delivery Methods: Distribution of Food and/or Material Assistance, and Voucher Systems
Join us for the CoP on Material Support onsite Meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, where we will explore effective delivery methods for material assistance, in particular food distribution and voucher systems. It will gather stakeholders to examine diverse approaches to delivering material assistance, with a particular focus on combining food support with voucher systems. Discussions will explore the strengths and challenges of such approaches, providing insights into their implementation across Member States.
Participants will also have the opportunity to share experiences, learn from innovative practices, and discuss ways to enhance the efficiency and inclusivity of delivery systems.
We are looking forward to seeing you in Vilnius!
Conti Hotel, Raugyklos str. 7, Vilnius
Download Agenda
7 MAY 2025
8 MAY 2025
| Time (CEST) | Topic and speaker |
|---|---|
| 09:00 - 09:30 |
Registration and Welcome Coffee
|
| 09:30 - 09:40 |
Opening and Welcome
Rita Grigalienė,
Vice-Minister, Ministry of Social Security and Labour, Lithuania
Neringa Poškutė,
Head of the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation, European Social Fund Agency, Lithuania
|
| 09:40 - 10:30 |
Material Support System in Lithuania
The session will present the food and material assistance system in Lithuania, highlighting the recent shift towards combining vouchers with food donations, alongside practical aspects of implementation, coordination, and lessons learned.
Auksė Duksienė,
Senior Adviser, Ministry of Social Security and Labour, Lithuania
Simonas Gurevičius,
Director, Lithuanian Food Bank
Brigita Eidukonytė-Galkina,
Aid recipient – volunteer
Skaistė Čiurlytė - Danilevičienė,
Head of the Kaunas Branch, Lithuanian Red Cross
|
| 10:30 - 10:40 |
Questions & Answers
|
| 10:40 - 11:00 |
Coffee Break
|
| 11:00 - 11:30 |
Keynote Presentation: In-Cash, In-Kind, or Something Else? Theoretical and Empirical Reflections on Poverty and Its Responses
Dr. Jekaterina Navickė,
Associate Professor, Social Policy Department, Vilnius University
|
| 11:30 - 11:40 |
Questions & Answers
|
| 11:40 - 12:50 |
Panel Discussion on Material Support Systems
Representatives from Member States and EU organisations will discuss varied approaches, highlighting the strengths and challenges of the systems in their respective countries.
Ingrid Mangulson,
Grants Development Expert, FEAD Managing Authority, Estonia
Romolo de Camillis,
Director General, Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, Italy
Eimear Delahunty,
Head of Community Development, FoodCloud, Ireland
Kinga Albert,
Social Inclusion Officer, Red Cross EU Office, Belgium
Simona Pulbere,
Policy Officer, ESF+ and Cohesion Policy at European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
|
| 12:50 - 13:50 |
Lunch
|
| 13:50 - 18:30 |
Site Visits (Vilnius/Kaunas)
Participants will be divided into two groups. One group will visit the Food Bank in Vilnius, and the other will visit the Food Bank in Kaunas. In both places, participants will be introduced to the activities carried out by the Food Bank in Lithuania, such as food distribution, social supermarkets, and accompanying measures.
|
| 19:00 - 20:30 |
Dinner
|
| Time (CEST) | Topic and speaker |
|---|---|
| 09:30 - 09:45 |
Reflection and Feedback on Site Visits
|
| 09:45 - 10:00 |
Enhancing Participation: Insights from the Recommendation Paper
This session will present the Recommendation Paper "Strengthening End Beneficiary Participation in Material Support Interventions", highlighting practical suggestions for involving people in need more meaningfully in material support programmes.
Rimgailė Baltutė,
Lead Thematic Expert of the CoP on Material Support
|
| 10:00 - 10:15 |
Questions & Answers
|
| 10:15 - 10:45 |
Towards a Shared Vision: Insights on Shaping the First - Ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy
This session will present perspectives and reflections related to the forthcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, including results from a previous workshop, offering a basis for further exchange during the following discussion.
Jessica Machacova,
Senior Policy & Advocacy Officer, European Anti-Poverty Network, Belgium
Rimgailė Baltutė,
Lead Thematic Expert of the CoP on Material Support
|
| 10:45 - 11:15 |
Coffee Break
|
| 11:15 - 12:30 |
Interactive Workshop on the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy
This workshop invites participants to share perspectives on how addressing material deprivation and the role of food and/or material support programmes can be reflected in the forthcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy. The outcomes of the discussion will contribute to a future Recommendation Paper developed within the Community of Practice.
The following topics will be discussed: 1. What additional structural barriers or emerging issues should the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy acknowledge that may not yet be fully captured? 2. What practical steps can ensure that material support is fully integrated into broader social policy, from strategic planning to concrete measures? 3. How can the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy combine short-term material assistance with long-term empowerment and inclusion goals? 4. What mechanisms can best strengthen the meaningful participation of people experiencing poverty in the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy from design to monitoring? 5. How can the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy improve the application of the partnership principle to ensure all relevant stakeholders, including NGOs, are meaningfully and consistently across Member States? 6. How can ESF+ and other EU funds be used more effectively to support the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy and material support in particular? |
| 12:30 - 12:50 |
Presentation After the Workshop
|
| 12:50 - 13:00 |
Closing Remarks
Simona Pulbere,
Policy Officer, ESF+ and Cohesion Policy at European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
|
| 13:00 - 14:00 |
Lunch
|