To facilitate donations, a service was created to collect the produce on a business-by-business basis. However, it is still not working properly due to a lack of volunteers to collect the donated produce. The Bank is therefore calling on Mercabarna employees to take part in the food drive, either in the Mercabarna warehouse (a job that involves having a forklift driver’s licence) or by performing other tasks in the Bank’s warehouse in Calle Motors.
If you would like to take part, please phone the Food Bank on 93 346 44 04 and ask for Oriol Dolader or Gala Montseny.

Solidarity Effort by Mercabarna Businesses
A year on from the start of the campaign, donations in the first months of 2010 rose by 6% over the same period last year. 2009 also ended with a 53% rise in contributions over 2008 and the inclusion of nine new businesses on the list of the 50-odd firms that regularly collaborate with the Bank. In relation to fish, a total of 21,158 tonnes were donated last year, 13% more than in 2008.
“We appreciate the effort by Mercabarna businesses to continue making donations,” said Gala Montseny, head of the Food and Businesses Collection Area, “but we cannot let down our guard, as the number of people who need our help now stands at around 100,000 and the figure is rising.”

Bank Open in August
To boost donations, the Mercabarna Food Bank warehouse will remain open in August this year for the first time. The warehouse will be open from 12 pm to 5 pm Mondays to Fridays. The rest of the year it operates seven days a week between 2 pm and 5 pm.