Barcelona City Council, within the framework of the Taula Infinita Christmas campaign and in collaboration with the Provacuno Interprofessional, has promoted a solidarity action consisting of the preparation of a Christmas menu with more than 1,000 portions that will be distributed in four soup kitchens of social entities in the city, which serve people in vulnerable situations, families with children in their care, lonely elderly people and homeless people.
The initiative has had the participation of Michelin star chefs Fran López, Hermanos Torres, Paco Méndez, Ada Parellada, Juanlu Fernández and Ivan Cerdeño, and the participation of the Hospitality students of the Fundació Jovent and volunteers from the Radars project, from the Municipal Institute of Social Services of Barcelona.
This year, this solidarity action has sought to put the focus on people who suffer from an unwanted situation of loneliness and on the role of young people in intergenerational dialogue with older people in this situation.
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, who has attended the Fundació Jovent, has highlighted: “Social action is in our DNA, a social action focused on the defence of rights, beyond the coverage of basic needs”.
In this sense, the mayor has pointed out that Barcelona has “11 public canteens, with almost 1,500 places a day, and 5 canteens managed by social entities, with 450 more places”. “A network of canteens with a very important capacity for impact for the people who need it most”, he stressed. “There is room for everyone at the great Christmas Table in Barcelona. Everyone is well received and welcomed”, he added.
For his part, Javier López, director of Provacuno, has highlighted the commitment of the beef sector to society in general and especially to our elders. Specifically, in relation to this group, he explained that “eating beef is essential for older people as it is a source of high biological value proteins that help combat age-related problems such as loss of muscle mass or sarcopenia. The inclusion of beef in a varied and balanced diet is essential for health,” Javier López recalled.
Vulnerability and social assistance
The Magone Salesianos Social Foundation is made up of 9 Social Education Platforms in Catalan territory, from where all the social action of the Salesians in Catalonia is channeled, including the Martí-Codolar Social Education Platform. This entity serves the vulnerable population of the Horta-Guinardó district.
The Jovent Foundation, where this solidarity meal was already held last year, is a non-profit entity, linked to the Salesians of Catalonia, which works to give job opportunities to young people trained in social entities.
Volunteers from Radars, a project promoted by the Municipal Institute of Social Services of Barcelona to alleviate the effects of unwanted loneliness and prevent risk situations for the elderly, also participated in this year’s solidarity action.
For three years, Provacuno, the Interprofessional Organisation of Beef in Spain, has been leading various solidarity actions throughout the country, collaborating with Michelin star chefs and reaffirming its commitment to those most in need. This private, non-profit, national entity is made up of the main organisations in the production sector and the processing and marketing sector to defend the interests of the beef sector, as a meeting place and forum for debate to improve the situation of the sector’s food chain.
