Food, clothing and even furniture: solidarity Facebook groups with thousands of members

If we do not see it, we believe that it is not happening.Invisibility is one of the problems that affect the most disadvantaged people.And not only do we not see them on the street.Nor do we see them on social networks, but they are there.In Spain there are many closed Facebook groups in which these people ask (or offer) help to obtain basic products, whether food, clothing or an appliance.There is almost always another person who, in exchange for nothing, is willing to help.

They are groups with thousands of members and distributed throughout Spain.They usually work at the local level or, at most, provincial, so that donations do not imply large displacements.The operation is simple: the most normal thing is that someone publishes in the group wall what they want to give, but there are also times - less often - in which someone asks and the person who can help answers.Then speak privately.

The previous conversation is one of the publications of the Facebook group I give or need Spain (Madrid), with more than 10.000 members.One of the group's administrators is Yenia González, a 29 -year -old from Madrid.He found the group in 2013, a few months after its foundation, out of necessity: "I entered the group as a user.I had just separated from my daughter's father and was in a very bad situation.The group helped me a lot, "says Verne on the phone, like the rest interviewed in this article.

All people who have lent themselves to participate in this article are women.Both among the members of the groups and in the administration of them are the majority.

A short time later, González found work, but he did not separate himself from the group.On the contrary."Just as they helped me, I also wanted to help".His story is very similar to May Torres, 52 -year -old Cordoba and administrator of the group of more than 5.000 members Te regalo lo que ya no necesito, trueque y mucho más Córdoba España: "Cuando fundé el grupo, mis niños y yo pasábamos hambre.I did it by necessity, to see if someone gave me a hand.I thought like me there had to be many people ".

Raquel Cortés, 27 -year -old Gerundense, also founded a Facebook group for the style for necessity."He had health problems and did not reach the end of the month.Ideas come out of need ".In your group, as in the previous ones, it is forbidden to sell.In exchanges in Gerona (2500 members), as its name indicates, it is exchanged instead of donating.These are two recent examples:

Many of the groups are called "I don't throw it, I give it" and the name of the city.María Trejo has been managing for four of her 48 years, I don't throw it, I give it Badajoz, with 12.000 members."It all started because some friends and I saw that we had clothes at home to which we did not use.Thus began the Facebook group and has not stopped growing, "says Trejo.

In this group you cannot close the donation by private.Each one has its rules, but in essence they are very similar.For example, I don't shoot it, I give it away.Cádiz in motion, with 37.000 members, está organizado por varias administradoras que recogen las donaciones y las reparten a las personas que las necesiten."Each we are from a town in the province of Cádiz.I have the garage so full of donations to distribute that I can't park the car, "says Begoña Espada, 39 years old.

The norms are precisely one of the usual problems of the group.You have to ask permission to enter, so if you are not willing to fulfill them better not to do it.Some members insist on selling products in exchange for money, but they don't take time to be warned or expelled.They all agree that there are more vibes than real participants."In my group, half are Argentines," says the Cordoba administrator.Another shared complaint is that of certain people who collect donations and then sell them in sales groups or wallapop."It took little to locate and expel them," says Madrid González.

Friendships and a lot of help

These Facebook groups have set many friends, which are confirmed more easily with a full stomach."There was once I dared to make a huge cooked perola.I put it in the group and eight people appeared in my life.Each one eaten and with his tupper of cooked.Without realizing, you make many friends, "Torreras says from Córdoba.

Christmas and Magi are two dates in which these groups record more activity than normal."In those times people rush until the end, but when they can't just asking for help in the group.We encourage you to participate, that we are for that, "says the Cadiz Sword.

González, the Madrid administrator, says that intermediating in these groups makes you live complicated situations: "A couple of years ago, a 40 -year -old lady contacted us because she needed baby clothes.In these extreme cases we move.I had nothing.His son wore a short manga body and was a terrible cold.We asked him why he didn't put another and said he only had one more.It was wet.I went through very complicated situations, but not so much.Seeing those things pushes you to help ".

In groups you can also find work and specific collection ads."Once we made a boat to buy a wheelchair from an old man.We get the money right away.We also made a collection for a girl who suffers a rare disease, "says Trejo from Badajoz.

According to the report, the State of Poverty in Spain of the European Network against Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Spanish States (EAPN), almost 13 million people are at risk of poverty or social exclusion.As we said at first, they are invisible.This was defined by the president of EAPN, Carlos Susias, when presenting the report.The stereotype is that of people asking at the door of the church, but no: 30% have work and 15% have reached higher studies.The administrators of the groups assure that they receive less requests than a couple of years ago, "but there are still many people with very serious problems," they agree.

These solidarity groups, no matter how many, do not reach a small part of the number of members who have those for buying-sale.In these groups there are hundreds of thousands of people with money in between.Facebook has been encouraging this type of transactions for a long time.

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