The Spanish Federation of Food Banks (FESBAL)’s “Spring Collection” begins this Friday with the goal of collecting the equivalent of 4,500 tons of food. This initiative will benefit over a million people currently in need of food aid.
The campaign will take place on May 23, 24, and 25. Volunteers will be active at more than 2,500 points of sale of the largest grocery chains across the country, according to the organization.
How can you help?
The campaign was designed with a three-pronged approach to collaboration: volunteering, in-kind donations, and financial contributions.
Volunteers can participate for four hours on one of the three days of the campaign and inform customers about donation options. In-kind donations of non-perishable food items will be accepted in supermarkets, while financial contributions can be made at the checkout, online, or through Bizum until June 30, 2025.
Efficient Use of Financial Donations
FESBAL has declared that financial donations will be fully converted into food from the basic basket. This allows for adaptation to the specific needs of those in need, optimizes resource management, ensures a healthier and more varied diet, and contributes to reducing food waste.
In addition, all donations, both in-kind and cash, are eligible for tax benefits. The Federation points out that for cash donations, the receipt must be retained and registered on the official website to claim the corresponding tax deduction.
Last year’s “Spring Collection” ended with €3 million in cash donations and 2 million kilograms in-kind donations. The major annual collection collected approximately €8 million in donations and 4.5 million kilograms of food.
Challenges for the population
As FESBAL warns, 9% of the Spanish population – more than 4.3 million people – are in a situation of severe material and social deprivation, which is the highest percentage since records began. This is supported by the latest report “The State of Poverty” by the European Network for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (EAPN).
Other indicators reflect the deterioration of living conditions in many households: 48% of the population struggles to make ends meet, 17.6% cannot adequately heat their homes in winter or summer, and 14.2% are falling behind on housing costs, such as rent, mortgage, or utility bills for electricity and gas. In 2024, the average monthly income per person in Spain was €965.
