Poverty levels are “very high”, warns Food Bank Against Hunger president
This weekend, over 40,000 volunteers will be posted at over 2,000 supermarkets across Portugal as the Food Bank Against Hunger (Banco Alimentar Contra a Fome) launches another major campaign to support families in need.
With poverty levels still “very high”, according to the food bank’s president Isabel Jonet, the food drive calls on the public to donate essential non-perishable food items like milk, canned goods, olive oil, sugar, flour, and pasta.
“Your help has a name: the name of the person who will receive it,” says the food drive’s motto, a reminder that every donation has a direct impact on someone struggling to make ends meet.
Donated food will be collected in special bags distributed by volunteers at store entrances and then sent to regional Food Bank warehouses. There, it will be weighed, sorted, and distributed through 2,300 social organisations, reaching those most in need.
For those who can’t donate food directly, there’s also the ‘Ajuda Vale’ (Help Voucher) program, allowing shoppers to contribute through product vouchers at checkout. This option is available until June 8.
Last year alone, Portugal’s 21 Food Banks delivered over 27,800 tonnes of food, helping more than 360,000 people. That’s over 100 tonnes of food delivered every working day.
“Many elderly people are living alone, and the cost of housing represents a very high proportion of already tight budgets, putting people who have jobs but do not earn enough to cover all their expenses in a vulnerable situation,” Jonet says.
“Sharing basic food has a real impact on real people,” she adds.
