Fewer donors and decreasing quantities: the big annual fundraising of the Calvados Food Bank was organized on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 November, in many supermarkets in the department. The organization collects food and hygiene products on this occasion: they are then sorted and distributed to 46 partner associations from the Food Bank, aimed at the most vulnerable.

At the Carrefour store in the Côte de Nacre shopping center in Caen, the Red Cross volunteers who organize the fundraising have noticed the drop in donations. “The difficult ends of the month, especially at this time, the end of the year celebrations approaching, all this can explain a drop in donations», Notes Philippe, volunteer.

Sometimes, a customer leaving the store passes by the Food Bank stand to donate some meals. “I bought baby milk and shower gel“, Anne list,”it is really out of solidarity, for us it is not chosen much, and it helps associations a lot, even a single commodity.“

+ 12% of Food Bank beneficiaries between 2020 and 2021

Among the products collected, pasta, rice, soups, but also prepared meals or canned products: any product that keeps easily and nourishes well, in this winter season, is welcome. Among the donors, many young people pass by the stand, like Bastien and David: “Even being students, with low income, we can still give, we just bought a packet of pasta but it’s better than nothing. “

The edibles are gathered in Bretteville-sur-Odon where they will be sorted and distributed among the 46 associations of Calvados, partners of the Food Bank. “We have 86 distribution points“, explains Alain Andres, vice-president of the Calvados Food Bank,”and the needs are still great: between the third quarter of 2020 and the third quarter of 2021, the number of needs of the Food Bank increased by 12%. “

The Calvados Food Bank hopes to have a satisfactory collection: the next fundraising campaign will be organized around May 13, 2022.