More than 18 months after the idea for the vehicle was ‘hatched,’ Rotary Club Estoi Palace International, together with other Rotarians in the Algarve and further afield, have delivered the final part of the project to provide a refrigerated lorry for the Banco Alimentar (Food Bank). Last week a shipment of 300 heavy duty plastic boxes for use inside the lorry was received at the Faro facility.
The boxes will be used primarily to transport fresh fruits and vegetables from the donation points and also to and from the warehouses in Faro and Portimão.
Since the arrival of the lorry in the summer, it has been very busy on its rounds in the Algarve. A campaign for fresh produce donations has been successful beyond imagination, with regular donations delivered to the Faro warehouse, and then redistributed as needed.
With every success comes another opportunity – some of the institutions participating in the Food Bank monthly programme are not receiving the fresh food items, simply because they have no facility to refrigerate the items overnight. The monthly allotment is typically collected at the warehouse one day for subsequent distribution to families on the following day ... so very perishable items cannot be included in the distribution unless overnight refrigeration is available at the distribution point.
Some of the institutions have modified their pick up and distribution schedules to avoid the refrigeration problem; but many have not. The size of the distribution varies from institution to institution so all types of refrigerators are needed. If you have refrigerated equipment that could be donated, please contact Claire on 916 787 925 or Sheena on 917 611 357.
Don’t forget, the Banco Alimentar will be conducting its semi-annual collection at area supermarkets 30th November – 1st December . . . be sure to watch for the volunteers handing out plastic bags when you do your weekend shop!!
