Banks in Europe

For many years, at the beginning of winter, Food Banks have been organizing food collections in many European countries. These collections would not be possible without the mobilization throughout Europe of volunteers who take turns at the entrance of the stores in a big show of solidarity. And once again, stores and supermarkets have cooperated by allowing volunteers to settle in the stores and to organize "special collection" operations for some of them.
All food products offered during these collections will be entirely distributed to those most in need through the Food Banks partner organizations. Thus these associations will benefit of an efficient help to assist the most vulnerable persons, food aid being the gateway to a total support leading to reintegration.




Belgium

The 21st collection organized by the Delhaize Belgium Group, from October 13th to 19th 2011, will allow to distribute about 695 tons of food (worth about 810,000 euros) to 117,000 poor people in Belgium helped by the Food Banks. A second collection could take place in early 2012.

In May 2011, the Food Bank of Belgium also organized a collection with the Colruyt retail chain. 202 tons were collected.

Croatia

With the help of 170 volunteers, on the occasion of World Food Day, 9.5 tons of food products were collected by the Food Bank of Croatia, in two important areas of the country. This Food Bank is in contact with the European Federation of Food Banks for a future agreement.

Spain

The Food Bank of Sevilla, who organized a collection for the first time this year, obtained very good results with 120 tons of food. At the same time, the Food Bank of Catalonia, which has renewed the national collection operation launched in 2010, doubled its result with 900 tons collected.

Estonia

The Food Bank of Estonia, which started its activity in Tallinn in March 2010, organized seven collections in 2011 in several supermarkets. 75 000 food products were donated.

France

The 12,500 tons of food collected on November 25th and 26th will be made available to the Food Banks partner organizations in France. These donations, in increase of 2% compared to 2010, will allow to distribute nearly 25 million meals in 2012. More than 100,000 volunteers participated in this chain of solidarity.

Hungary

On November 25th and 26th, the Food Bank of Hungary has collected 80 tons of food in 182 stores, with the help of 2,500 volunteers, 660 of them being staff members of the CIB Bank, representing a spectacular increase of 77% compared to 2010. The CIB Bank also cooperated financially to the organization of this operation.

Italy

The fifteenth edition of the national day of food collection, which took place on November 26th 2011 in Italy, has once again been a success. With the help of 130,000 volunteers, 9,600 tons of food products were collected in over 8,600 supermarkets, an increase of 2% from 2010. These products will be distributed in Italy to 8,000 Food Banks partner organizations that regularly help 1.4 million people allowing them to avoid exclusion.

Lithuania

The Food Bank of Lithuania has collected 176 tons of food during its annual collection of 2011, up 21% from 2010. For the first time this year, participation in this collection operation has also been possible through donations by telephone.

Montenegro

The Food Bank of Montenegro started its operations in the second half of 2010. 20 tons of food were collected during two collections organized in November and December 2011. These products will be distributed by the Food Banks partner associations to 750 families living in precarious conditions.

Poland

The collections organized for the Christmas campaign, on December 2nd, 3rd and 4th in 400 cities have raised 730 tons of food with the help of 42,000 volunteers. In parallel, the Internet application "click on the food," is maintained until December 31st 2011 to enable individuals to support food banks in Poland by donating products on the Internet.

Portugal

The second annual collection, held in Portugal on November 26th and 27th 2011, was again a success with 2,950 tons of products and the participation of 36,000 volunteers, a result equivalent to that of the collection held the last weekend of May

The public participation could also be done online and through "You Tube", from November 26th to December 4th, by "clicking" on 6 products offered, or on a basket of preselected products. Donations on the Internet accounted for 90 tons of food.

United Kingdom

A collection was held for the first time this year in the UK in 604 Sainsbury's stores. The campaign entitled "The Million Meal Appeal" brought together 1.2 million meals, or 224 tons of food. The store participating in the operation was matching in cash every individual food donation.

Serbia

6.5 tons of food were collected by the Food Bank of Serbia during the collections organized on the occasion of the World Food Day in 4 stores in Serbia.

Slovakia

25 volunteers participated in the collections organized in seven stores by the Food Bank of Slovakia. 5 tons of food products were collected.

In a time of economic uncertainty, the tremendous generosity of the public everywhere in Europe, proves once again that solidarity is a desire shared by everyone.