In these times, two things are especially needed: patience and solidarity. Patience in keeping the no-contact policy - even when the sun is shining. And solidarity with local retailers and restaurants. And this is exactly where the IGF, the Initiative Gastronomie Frankfurt e.V., comes in: On a central online platform, it wants to actively help its 90 member businesses and provide the missing guests with an extensive entertainment offer. This new platform, which is to go online in mid-April, will be called FFMLY. The IGF is receiving support for the project from the City of Frankfurt: Head of the Department of Economics Markus Frank is taking on the patronage for FFMLY.
"FFMLY stands first and foremost for ‚Frankfurt Family' and symbolizes what the IGF and all other cultural workers in the city stand for: Cohesion and solidarity," explains Madjid Djamegari, chairman of the IGF.
On the extensive platform, the initiative bundles offers and actions for its guests. Djamegari promises, "We offer what we do best: cooking, entertaining and being good hosts. On the other hand, we are committed to financially supporting gastronomic businesses, employees, artists and our environment that have experienced serious hardship as a result of the Corona crisis. Our signal: we make an active contribution, and we stand together as citizens and solidarity community in Frankfurt."
That something urgently needs to be done, of this Madjid Djamegari is great. Because the displeasure among the IGF members is still great, he said. The reason for this, he says, is the slow implementation of the emergency aid programme adopted by the government, which has so far failed to reach many businesses, especially small ones. "Short-time allowances and emergency aid are a good first step, but not all banks are granting their corporate customers access to urgently needed KfW loans. And if they do, then only in conjunction with extensive guarantees and collateral, even though KfW is liable for 90 percent of the loan." In addition, the IGF executive criticises the lack of further sustainable aid. "Deferrals and loans must, after all, be repaid at some point and no one can predict how long the crisis will last and when businesses will generate sales again."
Because the IGF stands for solidarity and self-help, especially in difficult times, the members have now launched measures: the IGF-initiated platform FFMLY will use crowdfunding to raise funds for businesses that have been particularly hard hit by the Corona crisis. The website will have various sections. These include a daily updated list of all IGF establishments in Frankfurt that offer or deliver takeaway food and drinks. However, the platform will primarily offer entertainment in the form of streaming offers - including from musicians and DJs from Frankfurt bars and clubs, but also from chefs and hosts who hold cooking classes or deliver home stories. The platform is already experiencing great popularity: artists have agreed to provide exclusive streaming content. The names of the acts will be announced a few days before the site goes online.
Other, existing campaigns will also be supported on the platform, such as "Cooking for Heroes," an initiative that provides hospital staff with high-quality food, for example. In addition, the IGF brings together in a job exchange companies and organizations from the region that are urgently looking for staff support with employees from the catering and entertainment industries who want to top up their short-time allowance. "All actions on FFMLY aim to collect funds via fundraising, which are used for solidarity purposes and hardship cases," adds Djamegari.
City councillor Markus Frank says: "The platform of the IGF is exemplary for our city, as it impressively demonstrates the idea of solidarity. The fact that the members have brought so many measures together on one page, with the aim of being a financial support for businesses in need, is particularly valuable in these times. I can only support this project."
It's not just the City of Frankfort that's in favour of the platform: "We're already getting lots of calls from industry partners, suppliers and friends who have proactively offered their support. We hope that with the help of Frankfurt's citizens and businesses, we can preserve what makes this city so livable and lovable. The many small, individual gastronomies and the unique club and cultural landscape," says Djamegari. The IGF also receives solidarity support from creative people: The Kronberger agency "das herz", for example, uses its free capacities to bring the platform graphically and technically to the start.
The online platform will then be available at www.ffmly.de.
