The goods collected made it possible to distribute food “to 925 charities throughout the country, benefiting more than 145,000 people in need”.
The Food Bank against Hunger has received more than 500 tons of food from the World Youth Day (WYD) Foundation. The collaboration is a use of “surplus and leftover food” from the world youth meeting with the Pope, held in Lisbon in August 2023.
In Parque Tejo, where the vigil and final Mass of WYD Lisbon 2023, presided over by Pope Francis, took place, around 25 tons of goods were recovered, which “were certified fit for consumption”.
Added to these were hundreds of tons “of food and water from the kits prepared for the pilgrims, as well as all the leftovers from the places where volunteers and WYD participants were welcomed and which had not been used,” according to a note on the initiative.
The goods collected made it possible to distribute food “to 925 social solidarity institutions throughout the country, benefiting more than 145,000 people in need”.
The collaboration, which also included the municipalities of Lisbon and Loures, meant that “the commitment of the Food Bank Against Hunger made it possible to transform this huge amount of goods – which would otherwise have been condemned to waste – into real support in the fight against poverty, hunger and inequality that affect many Portuguese families”.
WYD Lisbon 2023 took place in Lisbon between August 1st and 6th, with the participation of hundreds of thousands of young people from all over the world, and the main moments were presided over by Pope Francis.
The next edition of WYD will be held in Seoul, South Korea, in 2027.