The Diaconia Social Mission is organizing a national collection of food products on Saturday, April 27. The Mission’s executive director Igor Belei told IPN that traditionally the campaign is carried out in Chisinau in the largest supermarket chains and in more than 20 other localities of the country.
“The Easter collection happens on Palm Sunday, so that later, during Passion Week, we can reach solitary seniors. Over the past years, thanks to the groups of volunteers involved in our campaigns, we managed to distribute food packages to 1,200 elderly people, and other amounts of food in store are eventually distributed throughout the year. That is why shoppers are urged to buy and donate non-perishable food items, those that have a long shelf life, so that they can become a hot meal for Easter or Christmas”, said Igor Belei.
He added that last year almost 800 volunteers were involved, and this year it is estimated that approximately one thousand volunteers will be involved in the campaign. “Volunteers are mostly young people, with the campaign being designed as an effort to educate solidarity and involve young people in volunteer activities. We see that where activities start with certain campaigns, they become permanent, initiatives appear in these localities, volunteer groups emerge. It is their first experience for many of them and many of them stay to become volunteers throughout the year”, said Belei.
Volunteers convey the message of solidarity and urge people to donate food, participate in sorting and distributing donations. On April 27, they will be present in all the partner supermarket chains, wearing the traditional yellow vests of the campaign, united by the slogan: “Your donation can fill the plate of a hungry person!”.
All those willing to support the needy people assisted by Diaconia can make a donation throughout the year. With 100 lei, a hot lunch is guaranteed to an old person for a week at the Mission’s soup kitchen in Chisinau.
In the 2023 edition, 39 tons of food were collected in a single day. This year, the campaign is supported by the European Union through the “Partnerships for inclusive and sustainable social canteen services” project.
