Volunteers' hands seal boxes of food in the vaulted hall

Food aid and the Dream Center

We collect and distribute food to families in need in Brindisi.

Fact sheet

Essential information on how to request help.

Who it is for

Families in Brindisi facing financial hardship.

Where it takes place

The first meeting takes place at Via San Francesco 1. Food packages are distributed at the Dream Center, our warehouse: we will tell you how to get there by phone.

When

Days and times are shared with you by phone when you contact us.

How to request information

Call us at +39 392 192 6501: we explain how it works and schedule a confidential meeting.

New requests

Call us to find out whether places are available.

Requirements for participation

A confidential interview and the documentation required by the program, which we explain during the meeting.

A volunteer wearing a Brindisi Tabernacle vest fills a shopping cart with donated food at the supermarket

The collection

We are an partner organization of the Banco delle Opere di Carità, the charity food bank in Brindisi. Every month, the Banco assigns each organization a pickup day: we go to its warehouse, check the load, and bring the food to the Dream Center.

Added to this are the National Food Collection Day in supermarkets, agreements with local businesses for surplus food, like a downtown cafe, school food drives, and donations from individuals.

Do you want to bring food? Wednesday mornings, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Via San Francesco 1.

Participate in a food drive
A volunteer in a blue vest tapes shut a box of food at the Dream Center

The Dream Center

The Dream Center is the association's warehouse in the city. Everything we pick up and collect arrives here: it is inspected, sorted by type, and packages are prepared for families.

Volunteers and staff organize the food and prepare packages to reduce waste.

The pickup
The shelves
The prepared bags
A hand passes a bag of food over a cardboard box

The distribution

Packages are distributed at the Dream Center to families supported by the association, according to a schedule. It is also the moment when we get to know each other and ask how things are going.

For those who wish, food assistance can lead to the counseling desk, after-school program for their children, or courses.

The counseling desk
Dream Center

At the Dream Center, side by side

Boxes, lists, and volunteers working side by side: this is how food picked up and collected across the city becomes a package ready for a family.

How to help, in three ways

The food program relies on what the city provides: time, groceries, and financial support.

Donate groceries

During food drives at supermarkets, leave nonperishable products in the volunteers' cart. Or bring food to Via San Francesco 1, on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m..

Upcoming food drives

Give your time

At the Dream Center, volunteers are needed to unload, sort, and prepare packages. In supermarkets, volunteers are needed during food drives.

Become a volunteer

Make a gift

Online with PayPal, by bank transfer, including recurring, or through the 5×1000. We issue a receipt upon request.

See how to give

How to ask for help

If your family is facing financial difficulties, contact us. The interview is confidential.

  1. Contact us

    Message us on WhatsApp, call us, or send us an email to schedule an interview. No documents are needed in the first message.

  2. A confidential interview

    We meet to understand the family's situation.

  3. The family file

    During the interview, we explain which documents and forms are needed to access the program.

  4. The distribution schedule

    If the program is right for you, the family is added to the distribution schedule at the Dream Center.

Volunteers prepare food crates at the Dream Center A volunteer in a blue vest during the Food Collection Day A volunteer in a blue vest tapes shut a box of food at the Dream Center Hands taping boxes of food shut

Support the food program

You can donate, participate in a food drive, or prepare packages at the Dream Center.