Food products for supporting elderly persons and persons from socially deprived families will be collected in 100 shops in 17 towns of the country on April 23. The collected donations will be turned into lunches and food parcels that will be distributed to the beneficiaries of six social eateries run by the Social Mission “Diaconia” of the Bessarabian Metropolitan Church, IPN reports.
Within the Eastern campaign “Meal of Joy”, over 700 volunteers of the Mission will urge people in stores to donate food products to support those who are in difficulty. The organizers said only food products and no money will be collected in the 100 shops, 70 of which are located in Chisinau. Those who want to support the campaign by financial donations can do it online, through the Mission’s website.
The Eastern campaign “Meal of Joy” will take place in Chisinau, Balti, Cahul, Edinet, Causeni, Cantemir, Ungheni, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Calarasi, Soroca, Hancesti, Donduseni and other towns.
Director of the Social Mission “Diaconia” Igor Belei called on the people to take part in the campaign so as to bring the joy of holidays to the homes of those in need. “This is an event by which we can offer the elderly people the safety and warmth of a family,” he said.
Volunteer Lina Burduh noted that this campaign represents a method of providing assistance to the vulnerable persons. “I hope the people will realize the situation in which many elderly people in our country are. I call upon the kindhearted people to answer our appeal, of the volunteers, and support the campaign by donating food products,” she stated.
Within the 2015 Eastern campaign “Meal of Joy”, there were collected 22 tonnes of food products. This year the organizers hope to gather 30 tonnes of nonperishable food products that will be taken to the six social eateries run by “Diaconia” and the local partners of the campaign. All the donations will become warm meals and food parcels intended for elderly people and socially disadvantaged persons from the towns where the campaign is carried out.