In a statement, the Food Bank reveals that, in this campaign, with the motto "Your help can be what is still missing on a family's table", the Portuguese can donate food in more than 2,000 commercial areas throughout the country.

According to the institution, the collection campaign will take place in person on May 25 and 26 (Saturday and Sunday) and will continue until June 06 on the Food Bank's 'online' channel.

The institution appeals "to the individual contribution of the Portuguese, encouraging the sharing of food that is part of the families' table, according to the availability of each one, in an act of solidarity that assumes a collective character, with a view to improving the lives of families in need".

Speaking to Lusa, the president of the Portuguese Federation of Food Banks Against Hunger, Isabel Jonet, stated that the food collection campaigns are "absolutely essential for the supply of food banks" because, in these campaigns, basic products are collected that are important for needy families.

"Throughout the year, the Food Bank receives products such as fruit, yoghurts, chocolates, among others, which are surplus production, but basic products such as rice, olive oil and milk, we only have with people's donations", explained Isabel Jonet.

Questioned about the requests for support from families, the president of the Food Bank considered that, despite the increase in some public social support, "the number of requests for support has not decreased" since the last campaign in December 2023.

"There are fewer elderly people asking for support because a set of measures have been approved that help the elderly to reduce their poverty situation and their very, very low incomes, but today we see a group of people who have jobs but do not earn enough to cope with this increase in the cost of living", she stressed.

Isabel Jonet also defended that the aid given by the Food Bank should be "as temporary as possible", so as not to create welfare.

"What we would like is for people to be able to become autonomous and not need help, whatever it may be", she argued.

Last year, the 21 Food Banks helped around 360 thousand people with proven food shortages in partnership with more than 2,400 social organizations.

According to the organization, to participate in the campaign "just accept a bag from the Food Bank and put food items in it" and deliver it to the volunteers at the exit of the supermarket.

The Food Bank recalls that, of the food that the Portuguese can donate, there is a preference for non-perishable goods, such as milk, canned goods, pasta, rice, olive oil, sugar and flour.

The products will then be forwarded to the warehouses of the Food Bank in each region of the country, where they are weighed, separated and packaged to be delivered to the beneficiary entities.

In addition to the in-person donation, it is also possible to donate through the 'online' donation portal and with vouchers that will be available at the supermarket checkouts until June 06.

"Each voucher has a specific barcode associated with the products that each person wants to donate to the Food Bank", explains the institution.

The Food Bank Against Hunger, created in Portugal in 1991, has the mission of "fighting waste and providing support to those who need to eat the most", in partnership with solidarity institutions and volunteer work.

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