The NGO that & apos; rescue & apos; the leftover food from the restaurant and distributes it to those who need it

The Provincial Association of Hospitality Entrepreneurs of Alicante (APHEA) estimates that approximately 40% of products cooked in bars, restaurants and coffee shops are thrown away every day . The remaining processed food must also be destroyed with chemicals to comply with sanitary regulations.

All of this is known firsthand by Magdalena Guijarro and Alberto Redondo , until recently, owners of a bar and now fully engaged in their new project: Sintigo Ayuda , an NGO that collects surplus establishments every day to distribute them that day. Among the people in need .

It was precisely in this business that both of them ran on Calle Redes de Alicante - and that bore the same name as this new association - where he began his interest in developing a social work. Each month they organized a 'kilo operation' and exchanged the food they brought for a drink and a lid. Then they donated the proceeds to the Protectora de Animales, Caritas or the Food Bank. «We saw that we could go further because it is very good to give someone a package of lentils or rice but that is not enough . There are many people who cannot cook, whether due to physical difficulty, energy poverty or other circumstances, ”explains Guijarro.

Given this situation, the idea arose and the first thing was to visit the head of the Ministry of Health. «We completely misplaced them because it is the first association in Spain dedicated to this. Yes, there are apps that sell surplus food but not an altruistic organization that packages and distributes it among people, ”says Redondo.

After all the paperwork, Sintigo has begun to connect donors, volunteers and users in a solidarity network . On the one hand, hotels, bars and cafes in Alicante were "kicked" explaining their project, noting that the establishments do not have to cook anything on purpose. In exchange for their contribution, they receive a small economic recognition in the form of tax deduction at the end of the year .

The donor packages the food in individual packages that the NGO provides and the food is distributed that same noon, without having to be handled and without breaking the cold chain .

They assure that the response of the establishments has been “incredible”, as well as the involvement of APEHA, of different parishes, Caritas, the City Council and the Diputación de Alicante or the Conselleria. A generosity that extends to the main private companies in Alicante, to which the project has convinced them. They have also managed to close a bag of almost 80 people who are willing to lend a hand collecting or distributing food. "We are very small but it has been very easy to start," says Alberto Redondo.

The food that Sintigo collects will be distributed in rented premises at strategic points agreed with the Department of Social Action and the Department of Equality and Inclusive Policies. They already have one chosen in the Carolinas Altas neighborhood and the next one will surely be located in the Juan XXIII area. « We do not want to create a social canteen or any census . There are people who are ashamed to ask for food or even access Caritas aids. There is also a lot of hidden poverty and people who, even receiving a salary or a pension, cannot always eat properly. For anyone who needs it, we will offer a plate of cooked food ».

Much need

In fact, those responsible for the NGO Sintigo have discovered great solidarity in Alicante but also a great need , some not so obvious or visible but equally urgent. «One of the collections for the Food Bank that we organized in the bar was during the summer and people told us that these things are done now, at Christmas. However, there are many families with children at home during the three months of vacations that cannot guarantee adequate food . Or they give them what they have to stay without eating. There are real and peremptory needs and we believe that our work can complement that already carried out by other entities, ”adds Redondo.

One of Sintigo's next actions will be to open the NGO to those who want to associate with a symbolic contribution. "We not only want to be the spearhead of different social projects but also to build a social collective that can participate in different activities, such as Bonfires," they say.

In addition, they are already working on a complementary project: Sintigo with the elderly , which will send volunteers to the home of elderly or dependent people who cannot come to collect food.

FIRST SOLIDARY ACTION

The NGO Sintigo is going to carry out a first action on Saturday, December 21 in the Central Market area, distributing surplus food from restaurants and bars among those who approach. The response of the donors has been so positive that there have even been those who have committed some cauldrons for that day. The two responsible for the entity advance that they already have between 200 and 250 portions to distribute that day.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

• Alicante
• Spain

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