Hundreds of volunteers have been busy since this morning, in Olbia and Gallura, as well as throughout Italy, on supermarket food drive day. This is an invitation to share with the ever-growing army of people living in poverty. That is, those who struggle even to buy groceries. The volunteers, representatives of social organizations and recognizable by their orange vests, will be inviting customers to add a gift to their carts until this evening. They are asking for non-perishable goods: rice, canned goods, oil, and baby food. All collected products are then stored and redistributed to the various associations that are on the front lines of solidarity every day. 24 participating stores in Gallura, 170 in Sardinia, and approximately 12,000 throughout Italy. Food Drive Day, which has been taking place since 1996, is an initiative of the Food Bank Foundation with the dual purpose of combating poverty by raising awareness and addressing waste. In addition to the day dedicated to the public, there are activities aimed at companies.
Olbia, with its strong volunteer base, has been participating in the initiative since its first year, making generous donations. This initiative has become a model: over the years, the invitation to donate has been extended beyond the dedicated day, and many supermarkets have started offering a solidarity cart where donations can be made year-round through associations and parish Caritas.