The Food Bank in Mallorca warehouse

The Food Bank is looking for additional storage space. | Archive

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma15/02/2021 12:29
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The closure of bars and restaurants led to the Food Bank in Mallorca receiving further donations, which contributed to a distribution effort that amounts to six tonnes per day on the four days per week when there is distribution.

The Food Bank (Banc d'Aliments) highlights the generosity of donations at present. This includes individuals who turn up at the warehouse; "quite a number give us a lot". Some one hundred entities receive products from the Food Bank. These entities are catering for 26,000 people. At the start of last year there were 67 entities helping 16,000 people.

"The number of people has almost doubled. It's a shocking situation. We get requests from individuals, which we attend to, but we mostly coordinate with these entities." And numbered among the entities are town halls across the island.

There are two warehouses, one with a capacity of 58 tonnes, the other 40 tonnes. While this might seem like a lot, it goes quickly.

The donations were great over the Christmas period, and as well as bars and restaurants which have closed, hotels have passed on much unneeded stock. "When they had to close, their storerooms and cold rooms were full." The Food Bank also purchases at wholesale prices, while it receives financial injections from the regional government; the most recent was 130,000 euros. It is now looking for additional storage space - for frozen foods.

Demand is expected to increase further this month, as many people may cease to receive ERTE payments. "There will be more unemployed and much less employment."