The local economy continues to decline. To the point where the Food Bank actually ran out of food! I hear that people are standing in line by 7.30 in the morning, just to get a few vegetables to cook for a family meal.

Things are getting worse, almost by the day, to the detriment of the most vulnerable among us. Unemployment for the whole of Spain is averaging around 20%, so it is almost assuredly higher in areas like ours, where there is no industry to speak of, apart from agriculture – which tends not to employ anybody outside immediate family.

The International Club has stepped up, with some great efforts to help. First, the Club has earmarked €400 for the purchase of food to be donated to the Food Bank, the first instalment of which has already been made. Additionally, the most recent meeting was dedicated to the Food Bank, with members being asked to bring items of staple foods to donate. Approximately €200 worth in additional aid was delivered by members, to be passed on immediately to the Food Bank. The Club has always made such donations, but is now increasing both the amount and frequency of them due to the current crisis.

Plus, of course, there are the funds raised by the Eco Rastro, which are to be used for improvement of the park facilities – which, given the cash-strapped situation facing the Town Hall, would never otherwise happen. All in all, I think we, as the foreign community, can take a well-earned bow in the way we’re behaving in support of the place where we live. No resting on laurels, though!

So still no response from the Ayuntamiento regarding the suggestion that we could, maybe, use the Catering College facilities along with some volunteers to set up a ‘soup kitchen’ kind of thing. Methinks it suffers from the syndrome known in business circles as, NIH.”

As in, ‘Not Invented Here,’ therefore cannot be considered. Anyway, we’ll keep pushing; and thanks to all of you out there who volunteered your valuable time.