Montenegro’s people rely on charities for meals

Across Montenegro, people are receiving more than 2,000 warm meals daily through a network of community kitchens.

Some municipalities directly provide this assistance through social services, while others depend on church kitchens and non-governmental organizations to support the most vulnerable citizens. These recipients include families struggling financially, single parents, pensioners, and children. In Podgorica, the capital city, the local community kitchen distributes 640 meals each day, with 448 served on-site and 192 delivered to homes.

Violeta Golubović, the secretary for social welfare of the capital city, noted a slight decrease in the number of meals needed compared to previous years, currently serving around 80 fewer people. Miško Radonjić of the People's Kitchen at the Temple of Christ's Resurrection in Podgorica, explained that their kitchen serves between 320 and 330 people, a number that fluctuates.

They have recently seen an increase in people seeking help from Ukraine and Russia who rely on the kitchen for a few days at a time. Radonjić also pointed out a troubling pattern of families relying on the kitchen across multiple generations, with some families sending members for support for three or four generations.

Approximately 65 percent of the families receiving meals have more than two members, while 40 percent are under 18 years old and the remainder are pensioners or single parents. While Podgorica, Nikšić, and Pljevlja have municipal programs, other cities rely heavily on charitable groups. In Berane, a church kitchen provides around 200 meals daily, while organizations in Bijelo Polje and Cetinje distribute between 80 to 300 meals.