For the 12th year, before the Easter holidays, Diaconia launches the campaign Meal of Joy. All those who want to join in are invited to choose a form for offering support to people affected by poverty and hunger. All the accumulated resources will turn into warm meals or food packages that will be offered during the year to social eateries and others types of assistance services intended for people in need, IPN reports.
This year the campaign will be for the first time carried out in partnership with Banca de Alimente (Food Bank), which is the first program to prevent food waste and shortage in Moldova. Owing to the pandemic, volunteers will not be engaged in the collection of food.
Those who want to take part in the campaign can donate warm meals from any corner of the world on www.diaconia.md. A complex warm meal for a beneficiary of the Social Eatery in Chisinau costs 50 lei.
The project ends on April 24, when it is celebrated Palm Sunday, with a nationwide campaign to collect nonperishable goods. Those who want can donate nonperishable food items at special boxes that will be available in such stores as Kaufland, Metro, Linella, No. 1 in Chisinau and local chains.
“On April 24, we announce a yellow code for kindness at national level. During 12 years, we have insisted that the older persons in the Republic of Moldova should not live in poverty and starvation. During 12 years, through the campaign Meal of Joy, we have offered the possibility of becoming involved and of showing solidarity. This way, thousands of people have supported our approaches,” said Igor Belei, Diaconia executive director.
The last edition of the campaign, of 2019, involved over 1,000 volunteers who collected about 50 tonnes of food in support of those in need. These resources became warm meals and food parcels that were distributed by Diaconia and the social partners in communities.
