Metro employees deliver 10,000 bags of food to 40 associations for families in need

Poster La bolsa metrera
The solidarity initiative, promoted by company employees, has mobilised thousands of family members, friends and customers through social networks. "In just over a week, around 1,800 donations were received with a value of over 51,000 euros. Metro has backed the initiative by providing the means to distribute the food to entities

A total of 43 associations in Madrid are already distributing the more than 10,000 bags of non-perishable food delivered by Metro employees as part of the "la bolsa metrera” (the Metro bag) campaign to vulnerable families. This solidarity initiative was promoted by a group of workers who have managed to mobilise thousands of family members, friends and customers through social networks.

After raising more than 61,000 euros to provide cleaning and hygiene materials to health centres and care homes for the elderly in the first phase of the pandemic, this second initiative received 1,800 donations worth more than 51,000 euros, which have been used to buy 10,000 hampers of non-perishable food and other essential resources such as children’s food and products that are already being enjoyed by hundreds of families in Madrid with scarce resources and in a vulnerable situation.

"Metreroscovid19", as the group is called, has managed to raise a total of more than 110,000 euros since the crisis began with two donation campaigns that lasted no more than a week each.

During the last campaign, donations have been transformed into bags full of basic necessities. So, for every 5 euros donated, the employees acquired a hamper with one litre of milk, one litre of oil, a jar of pulses, a packet of biscuits, a bag of pasta and a bag of rice, or similar products.

The employees themselves have been responsible for buying the goods based on the needs conveyed by the different entities, as well as for preparing the bags and organising the distribution, for which they have had the support of the Metro Logistics Service staff and transport resources, which already distributed material to health centres and care homes for the elderly during the previous solidarity campaign promoted by employees.

This initiative was created to respond to the current food emergency and help as many families as possible, as the food bank warehouses are running low and new donations are not sufficient to cover the requests received.

The group has already managed to raise more than 60,800 euros in less than a week to provide resources to health centres and care homes for the elderly. This first campaign was used to purchase more than 6,600 litres of cleaning products, as well as mops, cloths and rubbish bags; more than 420 litres of hygiene products, and nearly 40,000 gloves and other personal hygiene items. In addition to mattresses and pillows, bedding, blood pressure monitors, glucose meters, stethoscopes, and surgical masks and caps, thanks to the money donated by more than 1,150 people.

The aid was given to 23 health centres, 41 care homes for the elderly and dependent persons, SAMUR, the Alcorcón Fire Brigade and Civil Protection, and several neighbourhood associations.

METRO SUPPORT

The great response obtained by this group of employees exceeded all expectations, so Metro de Madrid provided the necessary means to complete the campaign, such as Metro Logistics Service transport personnel, who are in charge of distributing the solidarity of employees, friends, relatives and customers who first turned to helping health centres, care homes for dependent people and, now, to helping the families hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis.

The company is showing its support for the work carried out by this group of employees whose initiative came from a WhatsApp colleague chat group.