The DANA that has hit Valencia and other areas of the peninsula has generated a great wave of solidarity throughout the country. One of its examples is the thousands of volunteers who work day and night to manage the tons of aid that they are donating from different points. In Madrid, as in many other cities, all forecasts have been exceeded; the city has mobilized to organize the massive collection of essential products for affected families at more than 20 points established by the City Council, although the Regional Federation of Associations Vecinales de Madrid (FRAVM) says that more food and belongings are no longer necessary.
One of the largest collection points is located at the headquarters of the Madrid City Council, in the Palacio de Cibeles. Carlos, who arrived first thing in the morning to help, explains to elDiario.es that he is there because he has always felt that helping others is a duty. Their job, along with that of their colleagues, is to collect and classify the products that local residents bring them. In all the places enabled, the majority of participants are young volunteers who have decided to dedicate their free time to this cause.
Many volunteers believe that there should be more support from institutions and the private sector. “The most important thing is that we all have to collaborate, if those at the top are not going to lend a hand, then we are here to lend a helping hand,” explains Lucía. Furthermore, it emphasizes that this is a humanitarian issue and that companies should “make it easier for their workers to participate as volunteers in these critical moments.” Volunteers also insist that even if more donations are no longer needed, there are many more ways to help affected areas.
On Santa Engracia Street, the collection center is full of people from early in the morning. The volunteers explain to this newspaper that the influx of people who contribute donations is constant until 9 p.m., with a significant peak after 6 p.m., and that it has not decreased as the days go by. Mostly, those who offer to help are young people who classify the products and organize the boxes according to needs. “We have been here all day since Saturday, classifying and preparing batches of cleaning products, water, and food,” explains one of the volunteers, who also highlights the incessant arrival of donations, especially products such as milk, water, non-food items. perishables and children’s products.
The logistical process that these collection centers follow is already very well geared. According to Jaime, a volunteer on Santa Engracia Street, each district has one or more collection points where a first classification of donations is made. Subsequently, the trucks take the material to the Crystal Palace of the Casa de Campo, where a second cataloging is done. From there, donations made throughout the city are transferred to a logistics center in the La Garena neighborhood of Alcalá de Henares and are finally distributed to the province of València and the rest of the affected areas.
This coordinated work between volunteers, neighbors and professionals such as firefighters and emergency personnel is what allows more than 20 trucks to be moved per hour. Despite the large amount of clothing and food they continue to receive, the organizing team recommends starting to prioritize certain materials: “It is better not to bring more clothes or food. What is most recommended are batteries, chargers and cleaning supplies,” says one of the people in charge of the organization in Santa Engracia.
For many of the volunteers, participating in this help network is more than a one-time action, it must be a long-term commitment because help is necessary now but also in a few weeks. “Today it was Valencia, but tomorrow it could be us,” says Lucía while arranging boxes of water and cleaning products.
At the collection point in the Centro district, located in the Plaza de la Cebada, the volunteers insist that they will offer themselves until they are needed even though they do not know if they will continue beyond Thursday, when they are scheduled to The City Council closes the points that remain open. Those in charge of the point demand that people remember that the hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and ask that citizens consult which items are most needed day by day, since a certain saturation point has been reached.
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