# Food banks/ bancos de alimentos need volunteers



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

There is a campaign programmed for the 28th and 29th of November by the food banks to receive food donations to stock up for the winter and for Christmas. Volunteers are needed to "man" the stands (shifts of 4 hours). There's bound to be one near you!! Here's the link
Gran Recogida de Alimentos
PS You have until the 17th


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## goingtobcn (Sep 9, 2012)

Thanks for the link  I won't be able to volunteer, but will pop into our local Caprabo to donate.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

I must admit I cannot fully understand the idea behind food banks; I understand the concept of helping the poor.

I understand if one has items in the cupboard which are no longer needed, then fine donate them. But the idea of going into a shop to buy something to donate (as recommended by some of the volunteers manning the collection points) is illogical and not cost effective.

If the organisers have the Money they can negotiate to buy better, cheaper, in quantity and possibly get suppliers to donate. Thus they have more stock to donate.

Or have I missed the point somewhere ?


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Donationa*



larryzx said:


> I must admit I cannot fully understand the idea behind food banks; I understand the concept of helping the poor.
> 
> I understand if one has items in the cupboard which are no longer needed, then fine donate them. But the idea of going into a shop to buy something to donate (as recommended by some of the volunteers manning the collection points) is illogical and not cost effective.
> 
> ...


Yes, I think you have missed the point.
In Cadiz, it is very common, especially at the weekends,to find young volunteers outside the supers with a trolley and a list of what could be donated. They don't accept money but we can buy a few bags of pasta, a tin of tomatoes or oil, etc. and pay at the check out and it is distributed later.
I don't understand anything about cost effective. To me, it is a direct way of giving some help. A couple of streets away from me, I can see at certain times of the day a long queue of elderly people with their trolleys waiting for their hand out. I don't connect one with the other. I am just so grateful that hopefully I will never be in that situation.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

larryzx said:


> I must admit I cannot fully understand the idea behind food banks; I understand the concept of helping the poor.
> 
> I understand if one has items in the cupboard which are no longer needed, then fine donate them. But the idea of going into a shop to buy something to donate (as recommended by some of the volunteers manning the collection points) is illogical and not cost effective.
> 
> ...


I have to admit I can't really understand your idea! 

Are you saying that individuals shouldn't donate or perhaps that their donations aren't needed, or maybe that supermarkets and businesses in general should be responsible for stocking the food banks?


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

How much more cost effective than free can it be?

I mean it's a charity and not a business model and for the most part they rely on volunteers and donations and less on contracted suppliers, you can't really buy a donation.
As Justina said the Red Cross operate food drives locally at the supermarkets and you buy a bag or 3 of shopping or school supplies, etc... and freely donate it to them.
The quality of the food isn't really in question..


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

The alternative you speak of is a centralised charity using negotiating power. That would come with the distribution depots, transport costs, CEO and supporting staff salaries, corporate back-office costs, etc. like those that the UKs charities have.

I can't donate to charity without wondering how much of what I give ever reaches the people in need. If I saw an advert on TV asking for donations that would be used to give food to those in need, I would be 100% sure that if I gave enough for a tin of beans, the hungry person would eventually be given about half a tin of beans.

Charity is big business these days and people get rich from it. I prefer the simple model of a few volunteers opening the doors of a community hall a few days a week and giving away what the kind donors delivered to them only a few hours before. That's the point of food banks.




larryzx said:


> I must admit I cannot fully understand the idea behind food banks; I understand the concept of helping the poor.
> 
> I understand if one has items in the cupboard which are no longer needed, then fine donate them. But the idea of going into a shop to buy something to donate (as recommended by some of the volunteers manning the collection points) is illogical and not cost effective.
> 
> ...


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Food banks do negotiate deals with supermarkets or manufacturers. It doesn't mean that private

donations shouldn't/ can't happen as well. This kind of iniciative tries to make links between

those who have and those who don't. It's about compassion, but also respect for others. It's about 

the realisation that others have the same rights and needs as you.

I don't deny that there are scandals about donations not ending up where they should, about 

someone somewhere making money on the side, or just about badly organised projects, but if 

everyone stops because of the occasional disaster a lot more people are going to be living a 

lot more miserable, sad lives.

I can spare 4 hours of my time and a tin of tuna and I'm 99% sure that it will do more good than 

harm.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

The thing is Pesky, they're not scandals, this is the norm. 

The good thing is that there's a very transparent system in the UK, which means that charities must supply accounts and they're all available to the public in one place, the Charities Commission web site.

If you go there and look at a selection of the top UK charities in terms of the amount of money they deal with, you'll find several that spend more than 50% of their income collection donations. That headline figure immediately shows that less than half what they collect goes to the causes they represent. And it gets worse if you get into the detail of the numbers. No scandals, it's just the accepted norm.

I prefer the food bank model.




Pesky Wesky said:


> I don't deny that there are scandals about donations not ending up where they should


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Of course food bank organisers have deals with supermarkets etc and there is also money coming from the European Union food bank fund (which, incidentally, the UK govt declined to contribute to).

But on-the-spot giving is as much about raising awareness as anything. It brings home the fact that people _on your street_ don't have enough to eat. 

It also benefits the donors. Giving is one of the five elements of mental wellbeing.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

> =Horlics;5745233
> 
> I prefer the food bank model.


Which is what this thread is about!!


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Don't expect me to start staying on topic! 



Pesky Wesky said:


> Which is what this thread is about!!


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

Justina said:


> Yes, I think you have missed the point.
> .



Seems we both may have.

If 100 people buy a bags of rice for 2 euros that is 100 bags at the cost of 200 euros. 

If I were running the charity, with 200 euros at the wholesalers I could more than the 100 bags of rice which the people individually bought, say at least 25% more, thus I would have 125 bags of rice to distribute, and I might also be able to persuade the wholesale to donate some rice too, and be able to help even more people.

So a collection tin would be more efficient way of providing help (except for the items which one might already have and now do not need).


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> Of course food bank organisers have deals with supermarkets etc and there is also money coming from the European Union food bank fund (which, incidentally, the UK govt declined to contribute to).
> 
> But on-the-spot giving is as much about raising awareness as anything. It brings home the fact that people _on your street_ don't have enough to eat.
> 
> It also benefits the donors. Giving is one of the five elements of mental wellbeing.


Exactly!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

larryzx said:


> Seems we both may have.
> 
> If 100 people buy a bag of rice for 2 euros that is 100 bags at the cost of 200 euros.
> 
> If I were running the charity, with 200 euros at the wholesalers I could more than the 100 items which the people individually bought, say at least 25% more, thus I would have 125 bags of rice to distribute, and I might also be able to persuade the wholesale to donate some rice too, and be able to help even more people.


And you'd have no volunteers helping you dole it out, no community awareness, no empathy no human touch.
As things are now you have business donations and individual and all of the above mentioned elements.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> And you'd have no volunteers helping you dole it out, no community awareness, no empathy no human touch.
> As things are now you have business and all of the above mentioned elements.


Having more food to distribute means one could help more people, and I believe that is the object. Being more efficient and help more people, does not affect how many volunteers you may have to make the distributions and to collect the money, nor public awareness as you would have the collections just like CUDECA, Poppy Day appeals etc.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

larryzx said:


> Having more food to distribute means one could help more people, and I believe that is the object. Being more efficient and help more people, does not affect how many volunteers you may have to make the distributions and to collect the money, nor public awareness as you would have the collections just like CUDECA, Poppy Day appeals etc.


I don't understand why you are of the opinion that one excludes the other; why food banks collecting from businesses or coming to wholesale deals can't collect from private sources too, which is what in fact the food banks in Spain do.

Más donaciones de alimentos que nunca en España: en 2014 aumentarán un 37%



> Banco de Alimentos. En 2013,los 55 bancos de alimentos que integran FESBAL recogieron alrededor de 75 millones de kilos de comida procedentes de empresas y particulares. Este año, esa misma cifra subirá hasta más de 100 millones, según las estimaciones de la Federación. Con ello, calculan que podrán ayudar a casi un millón y medio de personas.
> 
> 
> En su opinión, esto se debe a la profunda implicación del Papa Francisco en los temas de pobreza y alimentación, a la campaña de* la 'Gran Recogida*', la *difusión mediática* de su labor e iniciativas y a la* colaboración de las grandes y medias superficies comerciales*.


La campaña la "Gran Recogida" is the campaign I was talking about in the first post which will take place on the 28th and 29th of this month. Much of the press coverage that food banks are given is about this very campaign. The last point in this paragraph refers to the contribution made by large and medium sized commercial enterprises. Also logistics companies offer lorries and drivers.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

Pesky Wesky;5748297[B said:


> ]I don't understand why you are of the opinion that one excludes the other;[/B] why food banks collecting from businesses or coming to wholesale deals can't collect from private sources too, which is what in fact the food banks in Spain do.
> .


Pesky
I understand it's not always possible to read all the posts before making a new post but I did not say '_one excludes the other'_ but to the contrary, I said:- , 

I understand if one has items in the cupboard which are no longer needed, then fine donate them. But the idea of going into a shop to buy something to donate (as recommended by some of the volunteers manning the collection points) is illogical and not cost effective.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

larryzx said:


> Seems we both may have.
> 
> If 100 people buy a bags of rice for 2 euros that is 100 bags at the cost of 200 euros.
> 
> ...


But how much of that 200 € would you and your cohorts be taking out - probably, if statistics on other such "charities" are anything to go by, more than 100€ so how would the charity benefit?


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

There aren't food banks here. People donate foodstuffs to Caritas who then redistribute to those few villagers who happen to be in need. There are others such as ourselves who do an entire shop and pass it via a third party to give to specific recipients "anonymously". That way the recipient doesn't know who the donor is, which avoids embarrassment and the stuff received is targeted to the recipient's needs.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

larryzx said:


> Pesky
> I understand it's not always possible to read all the posts before making a new post but I did not say '_one excludes the other'_ but to the contrary, I said:- ,
> 
> I understand if one has items in the cupboard which are no longer needed, then fine donate them. But the idea of going into a shop to buy something to donate (as recommended by some of the volunteers manning the collection points) is illogical and not cost effective.


I have read all the posts on the thread - several times. I didn't think you had!
You didn't say that "one excludes the other" (one method of donating excludes another). I inferred it from your reiteration that donating by going into a shop and buying something is not cost effective.
I understand that negotiating deals directly with food companies of all sorts is a cost effective way of getting donations.
What I am trying to explain to you is that "La Gran Recogida" as it is called, not only collects a fair amount of food stuffs, it also informs and gives people an opportunity to give and to participate. As a volunteer yourself it's surprising to me that you find it difficult to connect with this idea.

Anyway, it doesn't really matter. The food banks of Spain that are involved in this scheme obviously do think it's a worthwhile exercise one of the reasons being this...
The European fund money (as mentioned by Alcalaina) is not coming through as there has been a delay in the passing of this law for 2014. The government has set aside 40m€ in a plan to "help out", but that is only half he amount normally received by Spain, and so even though there has been a rise of 37% in donations made by both companies and private donations, more is needed.


> *Problemas con el Fondo Europeo de Ayuda a las Personas más Desfavorecidas*
> 
> Los alimentos recogidos provienen de *dos grupos*, principalmente: los procedentes de las *operaciones con empresas* y los que financia el *Fondo Español de Garantía Agraria (FEGA)*. En España es el FEGA quien se encarga de ejecutar los planes de ayuda europeos. Reparte al 50% los alimentos entre Cruz Roja y FESBAL.
> El FEAD (Fondo Europeo de Ayuda a las Personas más Desfavorecidas) determina las cantidades que se destinarán a cada estado miembro; en el caso de España, unos 500 millones entre 2014 y 2020.
> ...


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> But how much of that 200 € would you and your cohorts be taking out - probably, if statistics on other such "charities" are anything to go by, more than 100€ so how would the charity benefit?


In a professional capacity I have looked into a couple of charity operations when I was working in UK and also two in Spain (although not in a professional capacity) I know what happens illegally, and also know in UK how much the collector can be paid to collect money.

If one is sufficient sceptical there is no reason not to suspect that food stuffs could also be stiolen by the collectors/organisers, and have heard accounts going back 50 years of clothing being stolen in that way, but as I said one must have some faith or charities would cease to exist.


Quote _"how much would you and your cohorts be taking out"_ I find that grossly insulation as you refer directly to me. For the record, I am not a thief. For your information:- Following the tsunami in Philippines I sent £2,000 to the relief effort. I accepted that some might 'go missing' I just hoped that it would help.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

larryzx said:


> In a professional capacity I have looked into a couple of charity operations when I was working in UK and also two in Spain (although not in a professional capacity) I know what happens illegally, and also know in UK how much the collector can be paid to collect money.
> 
> If one is sufficient sceptical there is no reason not to suspect that food stuffs could also be stiolen by the collectors/organisers, and have heard accounts going back 50 years of clothing being stolen in that way, but as I said one must have some faith or charities would cease to exist.
> 
> ...



You said "if you were running a charity..." and we know that those who run charities, are invariably not doing so for altruistic reasons,


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

larryzx said:


> Quote _"how much would you and your cohorts be taking out"_ I find that grossly insulation as you refer directly to me. For the record, I am not a thief. For your information:- Following the tsunami in Philippines I sent £2,000 to the relief effort. I accepted that some might 'go missing' I just hoped that it would help.


Baldilocks was referring to you if you were in that situation meaning that people working in charities are often criticised for using donations for their own gain.

I'm sure many people on the forum give to charity, or work in one in some way or another. This information is not really useful or relevant to the thread and usually reverts to a kind of Monty Python one up manship.

The topic of this thread is
FOOD BANKS IN SPAIN/ FOOD BANK DRIVE NOV 28TH AND 29TH
:focus:


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> You said "if you were running a charity..." and we know that those who run charities, are invariably not doing so for altruistic reasons,


That is a very wide slur on many people, both organisers and volunteers. As I said I certainly know better than most what occurs *in some charities* and the ones I investigated in UK ended in the Central Criminal Court. However, with that experience I would not suggest that most people involved in voluntary/ charity work are anything but honest and deserving of our praise and support.

And again Balilocks , I have been involved with running a charity for mentality handicapped children in Bromley and we raised thousands of pounds. No one even got any expenses at all, and when we held a dance we even bought a ticket and when we bought raffle tickets, we removed the counterfoils, in case it might appear the organisers were 'fiddling' to win prises. I am sure many small charities are run in that way. As I said I am not a thief.

_are invariably not doing so for altruistic reasons_ i.e. none are. As you say, invariably (always and without exception, in every case).


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> You said "if you were running a charity..." and we know that those who run charities, are invariably not doing so for altruistic reasons,


Really, baldy?? All of them?. Every single charity in Spain and the UK?.

For the record, our little dog rescue charity is run by a Junta Directiva of six persons.
We are a registered charity and present audited accounts.
Not one of the JD takes one cent in expenses or gets any financial or other reward for our work.
We do get something out of it, though. The joy of seeing an unwanted dog being taken to a loving home. The satisfaction of knowing that at least a few of Spain's unwanted dogs have food, water, a roof over their heads and a vet if needed.
We get something else too: sleepless nights worrying about how we will raise enough money to cover the costs of daily running of the perrera. 
I believe this to be true of all our other local charities such as CUDECA and the Alzheimers Society.

There are still, fortunately, people in our selfish society who are willing to give time and money to help others.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

larryzx said:


> That is a very wide slur on many people, both organisers and volunteers. As I said I certainly know better than most what occurs *in some charities* and the ones I investigated in UK ended in the Central Criminal Court. ).


Could you tell us which charities you are referring to? As the cases were in open court it's no secret. 
I'm curious as I don't recall a prosecution of a charity but it may have occurred after I left the UK.
Recent posts have questioned the motives of some of those involved in charity work without naming names which is wrong as it casts a shadow over all such organisations.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> Could you tell us which charities you are referring to? As the cases were in open court it's no secret.
> I'm curious as I don't recall a prosecution of a charity but it may have occurred after I left the UK.


. Somewhat off thread. It was around 1975. There were two men who for several years separately operated as coordinators for many charities.. When a charity stated to ask questions they just moved on to another one. They collected in the name of many charities, including some of the larger ones. 

The MO: They approached the charities and offering to collect for them. Then they used their teams, comprising usually of 2 women collectors and a driver. They made regular collections, every three months or so, at pubs, clubs etc. 

Monday to Friday the collections were spilt between the organiser, the driver (if he was in on it, if not he got his mini cab fee) and the women. Sunday was believed to be the day when the lowest amounts were collected. That day the money was spilt 5 ways, to include the charity. They had the labels etc, supplied by the relevant charity, to re-seal the tins.

The charities when questions had all been delighted with the amount collected. They of course did not know they were only getting something like 1/5th of one day's collection, so maybe 1/29th of the total.

I cannot remember every specific detail after so long, and although I do recall a couple of the charities, I do not think it fair to mention their names here.., albeit that their failure to control the collections more closely permitted the fraud to continue for a number of years. 

I would not be surprised if similar frauds are not operating today. 

However, aside from the frauds, we did discover that in UK under the rules of the Charity Commission, legal charities were able to pay their collectors, a percentage, I think was 10% or even maybe 20% of what they collected..

A few years ago I discovered a 'hole' in a major charity's operation in Spain, and in another lesser known one, when I asked some questions, based on my experience in UK. As a result of what I found, each could have been the victim of fraud, their systems were 'wide open'.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> Could you tell us which charities you are referring to? As the cases were in open court it's no secret.
> I'm curious as I don't recall a prosecution of a charity but it may have occurred after I left the UK.


. Somewhat off thread. It was around 1975. There were two men who for several years separately operated as coordinators for many charities.. When a charity stated to ask questions they just moved on to another one. They collected in the name of many charities, including some of the larger ones. 

The MO: They approached the charities and offering to collect for them. Then they used their teams, comprising usually of 2 women collectors and a driver. They made regular collections, every three months or so, at pubs, clubs etc. 

Monday to Friday the collections were spilt between the organiser, the driver (if he was in on it, if not he got his mini cab fee) and the women. Sunday was believed to be the day when the lowest amounts were collected. That day the money was spilt 5 ways, to include the charity. 

The charities when questions had all been delighted with the amount collected. They of course did not know they were only getting something like 1/5th of one day's collection, so maybe 1/29th of the total.

I cannot remember every specific detail after so long, and although I do recall a couple of the charities, I do not think it fair to mention their names here.., albeit that their failure to control the collections more closely permitted the fraud to continue for a number of years. 

I would not be surprised if similar frauds are not operating today. 

However, aside from the frauds, we did discover that in UK under the rules of the Charity Commission, legal charities were able to pay their collectors a percentage. I think was 10% or even maybe 20% of what they collected..

A few years ago I discovered a 'hole' in a major charity's operation in Spain, and in another lesser known one too, when I asked some questions, based on my experience in UK. As a result of what I found, each could have been the victim of fraud, their systems were 'wide open'.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

larryzx said:


> . Somewhat off thread. It was around 1975. There were two men who for several years separately operated as coordinators for many charities.. When a charity stated to ask questions they just moved on to another one. They collected in the name of many charities, including some of the larger ones.
> 
> The MO: They approached the charities and offering to collect for them. Then they used their teams, comprising usually of 2 women collectors and a driver. They made regular collections, every three months or so, at pubs, clubs etc.
> 
> ...


So it wasn't the charities as such that were prosecuted but people purportedly acting on their behalf. I don't understand why you think it's unfair to name these charities as it must surely have been in the news and on tv at the time and the charities were not guilty of any crime.

Again, you talk about 'discovering frauds' in a 'major charity' and a 'lesser' one in Spain but without naming names which imo is not right. What action was taken as a result of these 'investigations'?

Like any other organisation, charities can be badly run, criminally run even. They can be inefficient too. Rather like some British police forces, notably the Met. as you will be aware. But I don't like these allusions to fraudulent charities without some more substantive evidence. After all, I or other posters could be donors to these two Spanish charities you mention. So I think you should either be more specific or not say anything at all.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Back on topic. 

Unfortunately there seems to be no collection in my area, and I'd like to get involved. I'm sure I could find people in Estepona to help.
What would be the best way to get started on this? PW, could you advise?
Caritas collects in our village too, usually outside Mercadona. Like Baldy, we usually fill up a trolley. I'm all for this kind of direct giving. We did the same decades ago for the striking miners and before that the postmen...remember the postal strike, Baldy?
My old mum didn't have much money but she donated generously to both those causes. She didn't give anything to religious charities though. Odd as she wasn't a political person. But maybe it was because she could actually envisage the person she was helping, if you know what I mean.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> 1 So it wasn't the charities as such that were prosecuted but people purportedly acting on their behalf. I don't understand why you think it's unfair to name these charities as it must surely have been in the news and on tv at the time and the charities were not guilty of any crime.
> 
> 2 Again, you talk about 'discovering frauds' in a 'major charity' and a 'lesser' one in Spain but without naming names which imo is not right. What action was taken as a result of these 'investigations'?
> 
> 3 Like any other organisation, charities can be badly run, criminally run even. They can be inefficient too. Rather like some British police forces, notably the Met. as you will be aware. But I don't like these allusions to fraudulent charities without some more substantive evidence. After all, I or other posters could be donors to these two Spanish charities you mention. So I think you should either be more specific or not say anything at all.


1 The charities in my opinion, failed to ensure the collections were made according to the law. They were negligent. As I said when each became suspicious and a started to question the organisers, they switched to another charity. The evidence was fraud in relation to the organisers, collectors and some of the drivers (who were prosecuted) not the registered charities.

2 Please do not misquote me. I said, "As a result of what I found (not my investigations) each could have been the victim of fraud, their systems were 'wide open'. I brought my concerns to the attention of the organisers in both cases. I do not know if they took any action.

3 I do not choose to join you in commenting on other organisations which have nothing whatsoever to do this thread. Which if any charities you choose to assist is a matter for you. If you have any doubts you are able to do as I did, ask relevant questions, which I am sure to are very able to do.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Am I the only one who has reached the point of being sick and tired and bored to death about stories of corruption in the world - priests, politicians, charities, celebrities, coaches, teachers, corporations...everyone. I find it particularly tiresome when the overwhelming reaction is to see the solution to corruption is giving up hope and turning a blind eye. I am one of the majority who has given up hope in this messed up world, but I still go through the motions. When anyone is debating whether or not to give a can of food to a hungry person just on the off chance that there may be corruption, well, it's a sad state of affairs.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Back on topic.
> 
> Unfortunately there seems to be no collection in my area, and I'd like to get involved. I'm sure I could find people in Estepona to help.
> What would be the best way to get started on this? PW, could you advise?


From Radio Estepona
El Banco de Alimentos organiza los días 28 y 29 de noviembre la Gran Recogida de Alimentos 2014. Una iniciativa en la que colaboran todos los grandes supermercados de la localidad y que este año bate un récord con 14 establecimientos adheridos. La organización necesita voluntarios para colaborar en la recogida de alimentos, por ello hacen un llamamiento a todas las personas que quieran participar en esta iniciativa solidaria. Los interesados en colaborar los días 28 y 29 de noviembre pueden llamar a los teléfonos 951318256 y 616589148. Esta ong solicita, principalmente, alimentos de primera necesidad y no perecederos para después repartirlos a las familias más necesitadas de la provincia.

El Banco de Alimentos organiza la Gran Recogida de Alimentos 2014 - Estepona Televisión


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Here's an article from March 2014 by _Sur in English _ that describes the food banks and related charities in the Province of Malaga. Thankfully, not everyone turns a blind eye...

Food banks open around the province to cope with demand. Surinenglish.com


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> From Radio Estepona
> El Banco de Alimentos organiza los días 28 y 29 de noviembre la Gran Recogida de Alimentos 2014. Una iniciativa en la que colaboran todos los grandes supermercados de la localidad y que este año bate un récord con 14 establecimientos adheridos. La organización necesita voluntarios para colaborar en la recogida de alimentos, por ello hacen un llamamiento a todas las personas que quieran participar en esta iniciativa solidaria. Los interesados en colaborar los días 28 y 29 de noviembre pueden llamar a los teléfonos 951318256 y 616589148. Esta ong solicita, principalmente, alimentos de primera necesidad y no perecederos para después repartirlos a las familias más necesitadas de la provincia.
> 
> El Banco de Alimentos organiza la Gran Recogida de Alimentos 2014 - Estepona Televisión


Thanks. This hasn't been well publicised. i rarely watch Estepona tv as it's like watching paint dry. Our Plataforma Vecinal hasn't mentioned it either, surprisingly.
Incidentally, our Plataforma (PVEST) has decided to,form itself as an independent political party to contest next year's municipal elections.
A kind of small- scale local Podemos. Sick of bipartidismo which ignores the real needs of the town. Now I'm conflicted as to who to support...I represent ArcoIris on PVEST.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

This is probably going to be an unpopular view, but I have to admit that my initial support for the foodbanks in my town (I have bought bags of groceries and taken them in to donate, bought items in the supermarket for the Gran Recogida, donated money and attended fundraising events for the comedor social, etc) has been somewhat tempered by knowing who some of the recipients are.

It does not sit well with me to be donating money to support families who I know to be involved in drug dealing, where every member of the family including each child has a smartphone (which neither of us have), where the family run a car (which we don't have) and who mysteriously(!) still have electricity and water (copious amounts of it with which they hose down the street outside their houses at least once a day) supplies to their houses although the meters have been removed (when we have to pay our utility bills) and in some cases are squatting so living rent free, or where those getting their meals from the comedor social then spend the money they save on alcohol or drugs. 

I'm well aware that not all the recipients of food bank help are like this, but I now prefer to help a few people who we know directly so the money\food is being put to good use.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> This is probably going to be an unpopular view, but I have to admit that my initial support for the foodbanks in my town (I have bought bags of groceries and taken them in to donate, bought items in the supermarket for the Gran Recogida, donated money and attended fundraising events for the comedor social, etc) has been somewhat tempered by knowing who some of the recipients are.
> 
> It does not sit well with me to be donating money to support families who I know to be involved in drug dealing, where every member of the family including each child has a smartphone (which neither of us have), where the family run a car (which we don't have) and who mysteriously(!) still have electricity and water (copious amounts of it with which they hose down the street outside their houses at least once a day) supplies to their houses although the meters have been removed (when we have to pay our utility bills) and in some cases are squatting so living rent free, or where those getting their meals from the comedor social then spend the money they save on alcohol or drugs.
> 
> I'm well aware that not all the recipients of food bank help are like this, but I now prefer to help a few people who we know directly so the money\food is being put to good use.


Yes, I wouldn't appreciate this scenario either, which I reckon must always be one of the most "delicate" areas to handle in this area, who gets what, who is "deserving" and who not?

I've often wondered if there is a way of "sponsoring" a child or family here in Spain, much as you do in some charities where you sponsor ie give money, to a child in Chad or Bangladesh etc and can correspond with that child as they grow up (Ayuda en Acción here in Spain for example)

Anybody know of anything?

Overuse of " " ??


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Lynn's post expresses my reservations about 'child poverty' in the UK. Same with the alleged malnutrition supposedly rampant amongst 'poor' children. Many of the allegedly deprived children in my school had mobile phones and expensive Nike trainers yet rarely sat down to a home-cooked meal. At some point parents and individuals have to take some responsibility.
I'm wondering now, after reading the post, to stick to Caritas as we have done over the past years as our local Church does distribute to village families and presumably know their circumstances. They do not restrict their giving to regular Mass attenders either - that is contrary to Church teaching and if known for a fact to be taking place should be reported to the Bishop.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Problem: A person doesn't have enough to eat due to job loss, loss of spouse, health problems - whatever. 

Solution: Neighbours, friends and family help feed the person.

Problem: Neighbours, friends and family stop feeding the person.

Solution: Charity.

Problem: Corruption by users of charity and by charity itself.

Solution: Stop feeding the person.

Problem: A person doesn't have enough to eat.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> Lynn's post expresses my reservations about 'child poverty' in the UK. Same with the alleged malnutrition supposedly rampant amongst 'poor' children. Many of the allegedly deprived children in my school had mobile phones and expensive Nike trainers yet rarely sat down to a home-cooked meal. At some point parents and individuals have to take some responsibility.
> I'm wondering now, after reading the post, to stick to Caritas as we have done over the past years as our local Church does distribute to village families and presumably know their circumstances. They do not restrict their giving to regular Mass attenders either - that is contrary to Church teaching and if known for a fact to be taking place should be reported to the Bishop.


It would be awful if people who really need the help stopped getting it because of the scammers - I guess in smaller villages the volunteers who operate the food banks would probably know everyone who comes to them for help, so the system is less likely to be abused. It makes me sad and angry to see people taking advantage, it really does, but I guess it goes on everywhere there is generosity and something to be had for nothing, there is always a small minority who will abuse it. I just have a strong dislike of being taken for a mug!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Lynn R said:


> It would be awful if people who really need the help stopped getting it because of the scammers - I guess in smaller villages the volunteers who operate the food banks would probably know everyone who comes to them for help, so the system is less likely to be abused. It makes me sad and angry to see people taking advantage, it really does, but I guess it goes on everywhere there is generosity and something to be had for nothing, there is always a small minority who will abuse it. I just have a strong dislike of being taken for a mug!


Saint Teresa of Avila said that if ten people come begging for alms and nine are frauds you should give for the sake of the tenth . (in more religious-sounding words to that effect).


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> Saint Teresa of Avila said that if ten people come begging for alms and nine are frauds you should give for the sake of the tenth . (in more religious-sounding words to that effect).


I am an unabashed heathen with no intention of reforming.

I am no good at turning the other cheek either.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

At this point in the sworded history of the world, I think the crisis is not so much all the corruption that has been unearthed everywhere we look, but the result of the corruption - a loss of trust and hope in each other.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

off on a slight, though relevant, tangent Cada cinco días muere una persona sin hogar en España - 20minutos.es


one homeless person dies every 5 days in Spain - the average age of those dying is 47 years


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Lynn R said:


> I am an unabashed heathen with no intention of reforming.
> 
> I am no good at turning the other cheek either.


I've never been much good at conforming to scriptural suggestion....certainly not turning the other cheek. That just means you get slapped twice. I haven't been much good at most of the Ten Commandments either. 

Haven't made a graven image yet although I'm considering making one of George Osborne and sticking pins in it...except it would have to be made of something soft and 'graven' means metal, doesn't it....

A Headteacher I worked for once gave Year Seven (twelve to thirteen year-olds) an Assembly talk on the Nine Commandments. He explained later that he didn't want to tell the pupils what 'thou shalt not commit adultery' meant.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Religion? Corruption. Drop religion and faith too.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I do not support Caritas because I went to one of their meetings and they were allocating aid on the basis of how often the family went to mass. I don't like aid with strings attached.

The Cruz Roja (Red Cross) has a specifc fund for helping Spanish families in need, and as a charity it is beyond reproach.

https://www.cruzroja.es/webCre/donativos/donativos.php?llamada=2.59.121.13860.24/05/04.2.13860


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> I do not support Caritas because I went to one of their meetings and they were allocating aid on the basis of how often the family went to mass. I don't like aid with strings attached.
> 
> The Cruz Roja (Red Cross) has a specifc fund for helping Spanish families in need, and as a charity it is beyond reproach.
> 
> https://www.cruzroja.es/webCre/donativos/donativos.php?llamada=2.59.121.13860.24/05/04.2.13860


This is not sanctioned by the Church. You should have reported it to the Bishop. Caritas gives to all, not just regular mass-goers.
Caritas too is beyond reproach. You have renegade priests/nuns in your village who are giving Caritas a bad name.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> This is not sanctioned by the Church. You should have reported it to the Bishop. Caritas gives to all, not just regular mass-goers.
> Caritas too is beyond reproach. You have renegade priests/nuns in your village who are giving Caritas a bad name.


Can't be bothered. I prefer the Cruz Roja anyway, for lots of reasons. 

They weren't any nuns at the meeting, it was mainly middle-aged women sitting round having a gossip. The nuns here are too busy with their hospice and their boarding school for kids from problem families. They are brilliant! 

We also have a secular volunteer group "Amigos de Alcalá" who collect food donations. So hopefully nobody falls through the net.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> Can't be bothered. I prefer the Cruz Roja anyway, for lots of reasons.
> 
> They weren't any nuns at the meeting, it was mainly middle-aged women sitting round having a gossip. The nuns here are too busy with their hospice and their boarding school for kids from problem families. They are brilliant!
> 
> We also have a secular volunteer group "Amigos de Alcalá" who collect food donations. So hopefully nobody falls through the net.


Fair enough, that's what matters But it really annoys me when so-called Christian people behave in that way.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

So, I did my stint on Friday and was glad I went. In the morning there weren't any volunteers and there were only a few bags of rice and a 6 pack of milk.
By the time my partner and I left at 9 o'clock we had collected 50 k of rice, 25l of oil, 40 k of pasta, and bags and bags of fish in tins, tinned tomatoes, biscuits, baby cereal, baby milk etc etc. Enough to fill about 10 shopping trollies perhaps. Not a huge amount, but 10 times better than the morning! Most people we spoke to contributed something. A few came especially to buy something to contribute to the campaign. Most gave 3 or 4 things and a few must have spent a small fortune.
Apparently the campaign has been a big success collecting 40% more (14 million kilos)than they had hoped for!
El Banco de Alimentos recoge 14 millones de kilos en solo un fin de semana | Sociedad | EL PAÃ�S



> "En España, en los años de crisis la donación de alimentos está creciendo a un ritmo del 20% anual, lo que no ocurre en los demás países europeos en los que operan bancos de alimentos", ha subrayado.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> So, I did my stint on Friday and was glad I went. In the morning there weren't any volunteers and there were only a few bags of rice and a 6 pack of milk.
> By the time my partner and I left at 9 o'clock we had collected 50 k of rice, 25l of oil, 40 k of pasta, and bags and bags of fish in tins, tinned tomatoes, biscuits, baby cereal, baby milk etc etc. Enough to fill about 10 shopping trollies perhaps. Not a huge amount, but 10 times better than the morning! Most people we spoke to contributed something. A few came especially to buy something to contribute to the campaign. Most gave 3 or 4 things and a few must have spent a small fortune.
> Apparently the campaign has been a big success collecting 40% more (14 million kilos)than they had hoped for!
> El Banco de Alimentos recoge 14 millones de kilos en solo un fin de semana | Sociedad | EL PAÍS


Great day at our local Mercadona too. Nearly everyone was giving at least a couple of items.
Have signed up for next year.
Next recogida will be our local church Caritas the week after next.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I'm afraid I never made it to a supermarket as it rained throughout the whole of Friday and Saturday and our car is letting in water through the sunroof!

Plenty of people selling charity raffle tickets door to door though. (Just so long as I don't win - the prize is invariably a leg of _jamón_ and it took me and the cat six months to get through the last one!)


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> Plenty of people selling charity raffle tickets door to door though. (Just so long as I don't win - the prize is invariably a leg of _jamón_ and it took me and the cat six months to get through the last one!)


We're accumulating quite a collection of those, mostly for Christmas Hampers, plus some my OH bought for the annual Christmas Escaparate draw where local business owners donate articles to fill a shop window and the winner of the draw gets the lot. Lord knows what we'd do with the stuff if we won, most of it we wouldn't eat, drink or use, so I guess he'd have to don his Secret Santa costume and distribute it amongst the neighbours!


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