BAMA - Food Bank Program
BAMA (Banco de Alimentos Manglaralto) is proud to be one of the first food banks on the coast of Ecuador! We started serving 23 families in October 2020, and in January of 2025, we have grown to 75 families.
We identify vulnerable families in our area by making home visits and documenting needs. Manglaralto Giving is EXTREMELY fortunate to have the help of GAD, Manglaralto’s governing body, which provides us with social workers to help with our visitations. The social workers live in different nearby towns, and they know the people in their community. This helps us make informed decisions on who needs urgent help.
BAMA is also truly fortunate to be able to work with local groceries, which provide great discounts on food staples. We offer over a dozen food staples and personal hygiene items for each family to choose from. After shopping for staples, each family can choose $3 of fruit and vegetables from awaiting vendor truck.
Our list of families is very fluid. There have been occasions when families have contacted us to let us know they have found work and no longer need our services. We keep a waiting list of families available when a vacancy occurs.
BAMA has provided nutrition classes as well as breastfeeding classes for new mothers. We have also been lucky to receive help from local farming coops who have shared their fresh produce harvests with us. The BAMA Food Bank is a community effort!
Manglarlato Giving also helps families connect with other nonprofit organizations and social services to help with medical care, applying for welfare, and therapy services
