An Algarve west coast community association has stepped up its support of local families suffering hardships during the pandemic.
The organisation which early in April began distributing boxes of fruit and vegetables, has this week donated €500 to the area’s Sociedade S.Vicente de Paulo, Aljezur, to reinforce that support.
Amovate—the Associação Dos Moradores e Amigos do Vale Da Tel, or the Association of Residents and Friends of Vale da Telha—has already handed out trays of fresh fruit and vegetables to local families via the St Vincent de Paul society and the Conferência Nossa Senhora D'Alva, Aljezur.
The fruit and vegetables were supplied at cost by Aljezur Market stallholder Petra Deen who also packed the boxes for distribution.
Amovate also arranged—with the assistance of the Restaurante Fonte do Vale who received the donations from local individuals via strict social-distancing guidelines—to deliver more than 40 carrier bags of non-perishable foodstuffs to the charity such as pasta, rice, tinned foods, flour, cereals, biscuits, oil, washing liquids, toiletries etc.
Amovate President Ian Bedford told us, “In these difficult times there are always families which suffer more than most and Amovate decided to team up with the local charities to offer our help.
“We were told that supplying boxes of fruit and vegetables for families with no land to grow their own food was the most pressing need, and, after that, the supply of basic essentials to more of the families hit hardest by the pandemic.
“These efforts need to be maintained whilst the pandemic is still being fought and we continue to look at other ways to help. We would certainly appreciate it if the generosity of the local community would continue, with tins or packets of food being dropped off at the Restaurante Fonte do Vale for collection by the two charities”.
The charity Conferência Nossa Senhora D'Alva has described these donations as “Food With Love”, and President Fernanda Agapito, whose team cooks food for 30-plus families at the weekends, declared,
“On behalf of myself and the Conference of Nossa Senhora da Alva we would like to thank everyone for their attitude and what they have done for us, at other times, too, but specifically now in this pandemic. Thank you for your Gifts.
“I am grateful, and I am sure that everyone who receives them will also be so. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Keep safe, and God bless”.
Those collections are ongoing and Amovate ask that more such donations are dropped off at the Fonte restaurant which is situated alongside the centrally-located Pines Roundabout in Vale da Telha.
Amovate President Ian Bedford is pictured here handing the cheque to Aljeur priest Father Antonio, with Fernanda Agapito also in the photograph. There are also images of the fruit boxes that have been distributed to local families in need.
Amovate, a non-profit making charitable organisation, can be contacted via messaging on the Amovate Facebook page, or by email at: info@amovate.com
