Gran Recapte food drive

Gran Recapte is Cataluña in Spain’s largest annual food drive, mobilising communities across the region to support people experiencing food insecurity. In 2025, Goodman’s people volunteered during the campaign, donning blue vests to contribute their time alongside thousands of other volunteers.

• In Cataluña, Spain, almost a quarter of the population are at risk of poverty or food insecurity
• Every month, over 230,000 residents rely on the region’s food banks for basic necessities
• This year, Goodman’s people were amongst the thousands of community members volunteering in Cataluña’s annual Gran Recapte food drive.

 
Gran Recapte, meaning “Great Collection”, is one of Cataluña’s most established community-based initiatives. Coordinated by four food banks in Cataluña, the campaign takes place simultaneously across markets and supermarkets throughout the region.

Every year for one weekend in November, Gran Recapte volunteers are stationed at approximately 2,200 collection points. Wearing the campaign’s distinctive blue vests, volunteers welcome shoppers, explain which staple foods are most needed, and collect donated items such as rice, pasta, oil and canned goods. Other volunteers work behind the scenes, sorting donations in warehouses and preparing them for distribution.

Goodman’s people participated in the 16th edition of Gran Recapte, taking on four-hour volunteer shifts alongside the wider community. This immense undertaking relies on large-scale public participation, and Goodman’s people already plan to return next year.

The food drive, which raises over EUR6 million in a typical year, doesn’t just ask for physical donations. It also harnesses significant financial donations from shoppers, a combination that allows food banks to purchase essential items for people in need.

Food and financial donations collected through Gran Recapte also support the ongoing operations of the food banks of Cataluña.

Food insecurity in Cataluña

Gran Recapte is one arm of a response to the issue of food insecurity intensifying across Cataluña. In this region, around 24.4 per cent of the population are at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

Over the last few years, cost-of-living pressures have intensified for many households in this region. Rising rental costs and significant increases in the price of basic food items have placed additional strain on family budgets. Today, 230,000 people in Cataluña rely on food assistance every month to get by.

Year-round support

Volunteers are central to the success of Gran Recapte. Each year, tens of thousands of volunteers, just like Goodman’s people, give their time to support the campaign and ensure donations are collected efficiently and respectfully.

In addition to our people taking on a hands-on role at the event, the Goodman Foundation supports the work of Banc dels Aliments de Barcelona (Barcelona Food Bank – one of the four Gran Recapte organisers) year-round. Our funding assists Banc dels Aliments de Barcelona to provide access to specialised products, milk and baby foods for 4,000 babies.