Bancosol Great Food Collection: Donate at Axarquia tills on 13-14 November

Shoppers in the Axarquia and across Málaga province are being asked to add a small donation at supermarket tills this Friday and Saturday. Bancosol, the Costa del Sol Food Bank, is running its Great Food Collection (Gran Recogida de Alimentos) to help families who struggle to put food on the table, Euro Weekly News reported.

Key facts

• Dates: Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November.
• Minimum: donations start from €1, with no minimum and no pressure to give more.
• Target: Bancosol hopes to raise more than €450,000, which Euro Weekly News says is what last year's collection raised.
• Reach: funds support 20,589 vulnerable people through 129 social organisations.
• Bizum code: 00887.

Money rather than food

According to Euro Weekly News, Bancosol is encouraging cash donations instead of physical food this year. The charity says money lets it buy exactly what its partner organisations need, and helps it manage stock, storage and distribution more efficiently.

Shoppers can ask staff at a participating supermarket to add a donation to their receipt. Those who prefer to give from home can use Bizum, Spain's instant mobile-payment service, with code 00887. Nerja town hall also lists two Bancosol bank accounts for transfers: ES44 2100 8688 7702 0011 6290 and ES41 2103 0262 9500 3001 6299.

Who is taking part

Euro Weekly News says 285 stores are involved, including Grupo MAS, Carrefour, El Corte Inglés, Alcampo, Eroski, Dia, El Jamón and Mercadona. Around 4,000 volunteers are expected to help across the province, explaining the campaign and thanking donors. Students from the Santa Rosa de Lima education centre are among them.

Bancosol says nearly a third of the people it helps are children or young people, and that rising living costs make public generosity essential. Laura Valle, the Andalusian government's delegate for Social Services, Families and Equality, has urged people in Málaga and the Axarquia to show commitment, generosity and solidarity, according to the same report.

Nerja's collection

Nerja's ayuntamiento (town hall) said the town is joining the collection for another year, with collection points at the Mercadona, Carrefour and MAS supermarkets. The announcement came from Ana María Muñoz, the councillor for Social Services, and Marifé Rico, who coordinates Bancosol's volunteers in Nerja.

Muñoz said the town hall backs the campaign and urged residents of Nerja and Maro to take part. In her words: "Cada aportación cuenta y, con el esfuerzo de todos, podemos conseguir que esta campaña llegue al mayor número posible de familias" (every contribution counts, and with everyone's effort the campaign can reach as many families as possible).

Rico invited people to join Bancosol's volunteer team in Nerja. Those interested can call 650358939.

Why it matters

For residents in the Axarquia, taking part needs only a stop at a participating supermarket or a Bizum payment before the weekend is over. Euro Weekly News notes that past campaigns in the area have involved town halls, charities and volunteers, including in Nerja and Vélez-Málaga.