Expats help food campaign collect 703,000 kilos

COSTA DEL SOL: A FOOD drive organised by Bancosol to help impoverished families was a resounding success, thanks partly to the help of expatriates.

The results exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations and food bank Bancosol managed to collect 703,000 kilos of food – the target had been 600,000 – which will be used to put food on the tables of needy families.

Many expats will have seen the collection points in supermarkets as they did their shopping, with many buying a kilo of food to help the needy. And all along the Costa del Sol not only did expats dig deep to donate food, but many gave up their time and volunteered to help out. 

Just one example was the Duquesa Charitable Society of St George, whose members helped out at their local supermarket. Our front page photo shows Liz Alexander, Julia Ruth Mahon and Dean Tyler Shelton from the group.

Held between Friday, November 28, and Saturday, November 29, the event – known as La Gran Recogida (The Big Collection) – saw as many as 4,000 volunteers in 327 drop-off points distributed throughout Malaga Province.

Some of the most needed food items included: milk, oil, legumes, tinned food, spaghetti, but also nappies, jars of baby food and formula milk.

“These are expensive products, but necessary for families with babies,” said Vice-President of the Confederation of Malaga Entrepreneurs, Sergio Cubero.

“Initiatives like these help people who are going through some tough times because of problems in the labour market,” said Head of   the Andalucian Federation of Food Banks, Javier Peña.