Although its main focus of action is focused on empowering women and girls and promoting education and sustainability, Soroptimist International Costa del Sol also collaborates with food banks; this support intensified with the pandemic and continues to this day. On this occasion, the beneficiaries have been the Mijas Red Cross and Nueva Cultura del Desarrollo, who have received sunflower oil and milk for needy families in the municipality. "When we contacted the food banks to find out which products were most in demand, they told us milk and oil", said Daphne Theunissen, the president of Soroptimist, who stressed that "more than 1,000 milk boxes and more than 700 bottles of sunflower oil have been distributed".

The funds for this donation came from a charity dinner organised in Benavra, which was well received, in addition to the support of local companies, thanks to which 1,200 euros were raised, according to the association chaired by Theunissen, who added that the German foundation HBH Stiftung, owned by Helene and Bonnik Hansen, a regular collaborator of Soroptimist, also joined this action. 

The president also recalls that "they have been supporting the food banks in Mijas for more than 10 years", first, with occasional food collections during the Christmas campaign and then, after finding out the difficulties they were going through, with donations on a more regular basis. 

The Mijas Town Hall is grateful for this donation and highlights Soroptimist's commitment to those who need it the most. "They are helping in many ways in the municipality, and one of them is making donations to the Food Bank. We are grateful for these 2,000 euros donated in milk and sunflower oil, which are the products that were needed on this occasion.  In addition, Europe has unfortunately stopped helping the food banks, but they still need basic products", said the councillor for Social Inclusion at Mijas Town Hall, Melisa Ceballos (PP).

Appreciation

Both the local assembly of the Red Cross in Mijas, in charge of managing the Municipal Food Bank, and the New Culture of Development Association are grateful for this new solidarity contribution with which they are already assisting families with limited resources in the municipality. "Since last Thursday we have attended to about 44 families in Mijas and we will continue to reach many families, I do not know the exact number, because it depends on the number of members that make up the family unit", said the vice president of the NGO in the town, Maria Martinez, who said that "for us it is a pleasure to give the families everything they need, so we are very grateful to Soroptimist and to the German foundation". 

For her part, from Nueva Cultura del Desarrollo, its secretary, Rosa Planelles, stressed that "we are currently assisting 34 families, but we are also giving support to Social Affairs, when at a given moment they need support in an emergency", and emphasised the continued collaboration of Soroptimist with the group, "as they have always worked with us to help these families, and have given us some products that are of utmost necessity such as milk and oil". 

Soroptimist

Soroptimist International has more than 65,000 members in 122 countries, all professional women who want to help empower, train and educate women and children. For more information visit www.costadelsol.soroptimist.es or email soroptimist.costadelsol@gmail.com, or visit their Facebook profile (Soroptimist International Costa el Sol). 

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