Three weeks ago they reported that it was going to end its journey. What has led you to make that decision?

Adela Bravo Pérez: The problem lies in user ratings. It is necessary to carry out an economic evaluation of the users and the Food Bank of Álava requests that this work be carried out by social workers. We didn't have that profile in the association, and then we went to the City Hall, because we're a local association.

Since then we have gone through different stages. Social services have always told us that it was not their job. Then they told us they would give us a certificate of vulnerability. That's what we wanted: to get a certificate that families were vulnerable. But during the time they were there to issue this certificate, our number of users doubled, and we saw that we couldn't go on like this.

Mertxe Guillen Vaquera: What they were doing was a certificate of vulnerability of families, but not based on an economic valuation, when it was what we asked the food bank and ourselves. We can find unstructured families with addiction problems that are vulnerable, but they may not be economically vulnerable to food. They sent all the people that gave them the vulnerability certificate here, and from here we took them to the food bank. Everything went up: the number of families increased a lot and we saw that something was happening. The families who came, who had been left out before, went beyond the scale we made.

P.E.A. : We told the City Hall that then we could not go on like this because we had no resources and the list was being inflated for no reason. From Mayor's office, we were told that if that wasn't good, we could hire someone to make those ratings and then we would be given a subsidy to pay them. We thought it was a good way, and so we worked in the second half of 2023. A lot of work was done and almost 200 families were reassessed.

M.G.V. : We had to re-make an economic assessment to all families to see whether or not they met the conditions. It was a great job.

P.E.A. : In this way, we've gone from 200 to 100 families, as before. The person we work with told us in October that he would leave his job from December. So in November we went to the City Hall with the budget forecast for next year. At that time there was a change in the City Hall, after the elections, and we are facing an immense closure. They told us it was too expensive, but they would think. Then we saw that communication between both sides was being crushed.

M.G.V. : In addition, the treatment received was not good. Until then we did not get the City Hall to take on the subject of valuations, but the treatment of the person who carried the field of social action was always good, until then. We volunteered, and we saw that the work we did was being ruined, and that made us feel bad.

P.E.A. : Food banks have always been accused of being “starters”. I don't know what people prefer, queuing or starving.

The City Hall proposed an agreement with Red Cross so that user ratings can be transferred to this institution.

M.G.V. : When they refused our budget they told us that they were going to value other options, but they never gave us that budget.

P.E.A. : We were behind them from there to ask them what they were going to do.

M.G.V. : We had to chase them…

P.E.A. : meeting with the Red Cross, post-meeting delay…

In the meantime, were you still working?

M.G.V. : We continue with the previous assessments and ask the food bank for a three-month extension. The City Hall was aware of this extension, knew that the food bank would leave us until March without making any new assessments.

P.E.A. : In the case of newly arrived people it was clear that they were going to enter because they came with nothing. But there are other people who in their day picked up food, who then stopped receiving it and now, as the economic situation has worsened, are asking for it to be picked up again. It is necessary to make an assessment, and we do not dare to include those people, because we cannot make assessments.

M.G.V. : When the City Hall told us that the evaluations would be carried out by the Red Cross, we were waiting for the response of this institution. Time passed and we were called one day to say yes, that the Red Cross would take the ratings and that from there they would call us for a meeting.

P.E.A. : This was the last news. At the end of February we sent a WhatsApp message indicating that we do not receive calls from Red Cross. So we told them that in March we would make the final deal if we didn't have news before, because it was the deadline that we agreed. We received no reply. From the City Hall they now say they didn't have any communication from us, and it's not true. Now they say it's not worth it, it's not worth what we publish on social media, but they use it to give an answer.

What is the situation at the moment?

M.G.V. : We do not see solutions and have decided to close them for lack of communication with the City Hall and for bad relationship (we are always waiting), as we have reported on social networks.

I personally hoped that the City Hall, seeing our social media note, would contact us to make sure that this was the case. But no, they have just made a press release.

Have you not contacted you since then?

M.G.V. : We have never had any communication on their own.

P.E.A. : We see that there are many inaccuracies in the things they have published. Some have hurt us. I personally have had a lot of trouble hearing that our concern is due to a new programme of the European Social Fund, which could make us run out of users. Please do not have to have the objective of our partnership. We would love to have no users.

Do you see the alternative proposed by the City Hall with the Red Cross?

P.E.A. Yes, it would be possible. It's a question, how long should we wait? What we've seen is that we don't value the work we do, that we don't want. The Red Cross could be a good option, but don't we know what they're talking about, a one-year convention? Something longer? They have not asked us how we would do it, nothing. It's been more: "You're uncomfortable, go over here."

Marisa Fernández Pallas: This is a unilateral negotiation in which nothing has been consulted when we should be the starting point.

P.E.A. : We are talking about valuations, but we have to put more details, and what we know is what we are talking about.

Its activity will end in March. What will happen from now on?

P.E.A. : The councillor says that the food bank should say what is going to happen now to families, and that is not the case. The food bank provides food to associations that meet a number of requirements for distribution.

How does the food bank work? And what role has the Aid Association played so far?

P.E.A. : Food distribution is not done by the bank, but by associations. In Amurrio only Laguntza does, and in Llodio nobody does. The association establishes an agreement with the bank in which food is brought and distributed. The impact is due to the question of valuations. We have always been ashamed to make assessments. After all, we are volunteers and we ask people to undress us, saying how much they charge and what they spend the money on. The City Hall
has direct access to this data. In addition, many users have also received social emergency aid from the City Hall, for which the local authority has had to make an assessment.

M.G.V. : This activity is performed by municipal social workers in other municipalities, but in Amurrio no.

Is Amurrio the exception?

P.E.A. : According to the Food Bank, the City of Amurrio is the only exception in terms of the places where they feed.

P.E.A. : At the moment, although there is a change of attitude on the part of the City Hall, I find it difficult to restart the Aid. Some things, when they fall, cannot rise again.

M.G.V. : If by seeing the news on social networks they would have contacted us or have given an approximation… but they have not contacted us to know if what is published on social networks is so.

P.E.A. : On 20 February, they were informed that the last distribution of food would take place in March. Then they would have to say something. But they haven't told us anything.

M.G.V. : Nothing has been tried. We're told we didn't say anything through official channels, but we had the habit of talking to them via WhatsApp or face-to-face.

The Laguntza association has completed 20 years of experience. How has it evolved over these two decades? Has the situation in Amurrio changed greatly during this time?

P.E.A. : The situation has improved greatly. We used to just cover the holes. Today I believe that in Amurrio there are needs, but there is no hunger. The collection of food allows families to allocate money to other things: children's school supplies, clothing, etc. But I don't think people are running out of that help.

M.G.V. : Except newcomers. Many of them lack paper and are therefore not entitled to any other aid. That being the case, food aid for these people is essential.

P.E.A. : We only asked for him to be registered in Amurrio. With this, we felt indifferent the role they had or did not have.

We could talk about the European Social Fund programme. This programme used to give food, but this year it seems that this fund has asked all countries whether they prefer to donate food or money, and it seems that Spain has committed itself to money. In this way, EUR 100 million has been allocated to it to deal with those who have been handed over to the Red Cross. 95 million in cards and 5 million in commission per management.

Through this assistance, families with children under their care will receive financial aid, although their size has not yet been determined. That is, as the City Hall suggests, what perhaps makes us uncomfortable, understanding that this program can make people not need what we do.

M.F.P. We're going to run out of work.

M.G.V. : However, this is very pending. The reality is that in April 95 families will not receive food and nobody will do anything.

P.E.A. : Then in May it seems that this card will start to be delivered, but it is to be seen under what conditions.

M.G.V. : At the moment there is no more information and, seeing how fast things are going, we do not think it is so soon.

P.E.A. : Finally, we want to clarify that the budget we presented to the City Hall was annual, while the previous one was six months. Hence the rise between the first and the second.

M.G.V. : But what's behind is whether or not you bet on this. Is it expensive, according to what? A budget of EUR 9,000 for a city council such as Amurrio is not much, the key is to want to do so. There's money, it's a matter of where it's going.

It seems they're just our users, not Amurrio's neighbors. At first they told us that they were not going to make an assessment because they were not going to work for Help. If the City Hall's mindset is that this is working for us and that users are responsible for us and the food store, and that's not the case. They are citizens living in Amurrio, and I would say that the social action department has something to say and do in this area. We are a tool that could work very well if there was a good relationship.

P.E.A. : It should be noted that together with the Association of Helpers the rapper will be closed. There we pick up and set up the clothes to sell at very symbolic prices.

In this way, people can bring clothes and household utensils that they no longer use, knowing that they will have a second life. It's not as cold as entering a container. In addition, it offers people access to cheap clothing, which is another type of help.

M.G.V. : The money coming out of the skateboard has always been destined to buy more food to complete what we received from the store. So if we're not going to collect food, this shop doesn't make sense anymore.

Finally, we want to make it clear that we do not want to come into contact with the City Hall, but we want to launch our version. There will be people who understand, who do not understand… but the hardest thing for us is to leave 95 families without food in April, when the City Council has not come to raise it.