Its main objective is to prevent various associations in Spain, which rescue abandoned and mistreated animals, from running out of food.
BASMA (Animalist Movement Solidarity Food Bank) is an association that was founded a few years ago altruistically. In 2019 alone, BASMA managed 145 aid packages for 97 associations and colony feeders, totaling 27,281 kilograms of dry and wet food. They also collaborated with veterinary treatments and other needs.
“It all started in September 2013. I asked for help to save 5 puppies, a little over a month old, dogs that a grandfather had given to his grandchildren as if they were toys. The holidays were ending and they wanted to kill them. I found out by chance and saw that I had to do something: I asked for help on Facebook and several people helped me find them a home.
One of the people who helped me, the following month organized a food drive to help an association, and that’s how I began to understand the reality experienced in many shelters, and I felt I had to do something.
After that initial food collection, I considered organizing something on a permanent basis, and that's how the idea of creating a food bank to help associations and cat colony feeders came about. BASMA was officially registered in June 2014 thanks to the help of two family members.”
Conchi is a very hardworking person, performing multiple tasks: attending to requests from associations, organizing raffles, solidarity sales, etc. All with a single purpose: to help.
But Conchi also needs help; one way is, for example, to acquire the solidarity portraits, which are personalized drawings of your pet, or she has merchandise (fans, artisan items,...) and, of course, donations from anonymous people.
BASMA, as can be seen on its Facebook page, promptly and in detail reports each month on the destination of all aid. Transparency, the association emphasizes, is very important because it allows people who help to see how their contributions are used.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BASMA.bancodealimentos/photos
Now more than ever they need help; due to the pandemic, animal shelters are going through a delicate situation. Requests are increasing, veterinary bills need to be covered, and the rise in abandonments also doesn't help reverse the situation, especially when these associations cannot look away when they know an animal is in distress.