The Segura Food Bank (Basmur) is going through a complicated situation these months marked by the increase, still contained, in requests for help from vulnerable families and the decrease, by up to 40%, in donations. The president of this institution, José García-Galbis Marín, did not hide his concern yesterday at this “malicious equation” and encouraged Murcia to “be generous” in the next food collection campaign that will take place on the 2nd and 3rd of June in the main supermarkets in the Region.
Today, there are about 48,000 Murcians who guarantee their basic needs every month thanks to organizations of this type. “The beneficiaries are increasing although, thank God, not in the percentage that we expected last year,” explained García-Galbis Marín. The president of this organization presided over, together with the government delegate, Caridad Rives, and the superior chief of the Police in the Region, Ignacio del Olmo, the delivery of a shipment of 6,000 kilos of coffee seized in a police operation.
buckle up
The head of this institution, which thrives on the efforts of volunteers, explained that, although the demands for help are increasing, they are not reaching such high figures as expected. “Inflation is stagnating and the number of unemployed people is decreasing,” he stressed. “That suggests that the number of beneficiaries will not increase, at least in the short term.” Despite the contained increase in requests for help, Basmur faces a reduction of up to 40%, compared to 2021, in donations that come from both companies and individuals. Small and medium-sized companies in the Region (SMEs) are currently surrounded by an increase in the cost of raw materials –fuel, electricity…– which reduces their income and has a direct impact on their solidarity. “The agri-food companies, which are one of our largest donors, have difficulties and logically their corporate social responsibility is affected,” García-Galbis Marín stressed. Something similar happens in the case of individuals. “The benefactor partners that we have before could afford to donate 10 euros a month and now there are families that need that money to pay their mortgage or their rents,” he said. “The first thing is the family and then the donations to institutions like ours.”
The president of the Food Bank also took advantage of the occasion to once again invite Murcia to join as volunteers for ‘Operation Kilo’. This food collection campaign will take place on June 2 and 3 in the main supermarkets in the Region. The entity needs 200 volunteers to collect food in establishments. All those interested can register on the website www.basmur.org. No prior experience or knowledge is required.
#Segura #Food #Bank #faces #drop #donations