Milk products for babies scarce in the Bank's shelves ... - The Associated Press

Food Bank Against Hunger supports 16,000 people in the Algarve. Of these, many are children, are needed for dairy products such as milk powder, flour and porridge. But these are the most difficult foods to raise the campaigns promoted by the institution – represent only 1% of the total products collected annually

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“There are families with children and without financial capacity to buy such products”, said the president of the Food Bank delegation in the Algarve, Nuno Alves. Speaking to Lusa, the official stressed that the situation is worrying in counties like Faro, Olhão, Loulé and Portimão, estimating that nearly a thousand children under the age of three have food shortages.

Dairy products are, as a rule, expensive and are rarely donated to the institution. Nuno Alves believes that people who donate food rather give more quantity for “left with the feeling that they are helping more people” than just food and more expensive, as is the case of dairy products.

“We have sought alternatives to achieve secure at least the institutions to ask us, because it is expensive for anyone who gives, who is also expensive to buy,” said Nuno Alves. For example, the campaign “Separate to feed” provides that for every ton of packages delivered to recycling centers Algar or containers marked with the seal of the Food Bank food commodities are purchased for children.

Requests weekly help
The institution estimates that there are between 22 to 25 thousand people in need of food aid in the Algarve. Currently, the Food Bank’s hunger kills 16,000 people, but in 2013 were 22 000 -. Using a Community program to support the needy, which however ended

“Now it has been quiet because we do not work directly with families, but there was a time of year when we reached the door here have weekly requests for help,” said one responsible, stressing that applications have soared in the last semester , 2013.

In milk products for babies,

dried products – such as flour, rice and oil – are those that the Food Bank has greater difficulty in securing, because quantities who have come mainly through two annual campaigns, are not enough.