Christmas Menu at R3SPIRA

The cooperation between R3SPIRA and PREDATOR SL continues,

We have already reported here on the blog about one of the charity projects we support. In this case, we offer needy families in Pollenca a free menu once a week.

In cooperation with the restaurant R3SPIRA, we have been actively involved here since June 2021. Nico, the head of R3SPIRA, provides his time, work and the restaurant for cooking and distribution; we pay for the groceries.

Together with the social services department of Pollenca and with the support of the mayor, we have found a good and uncomplicated way to inform the families concerned and to ensure that the help arrives where it is truly needed.

In Spain, the social safety net is massively weaker than in Germany; families who fall into hardship are far more dependent on help from private individuals or companies or, indeed, foundations. When the Corona crisis hit, the problem became significantly worse once again.

This allowed us to see very clearly in the figures that, especially at the beginning of the support, at peak times we were feeding up to 200 families per week. In summer, the number then dropped to around 50–100 families. At the moment, we are even down to just 15 families.

We had distinguished visitors only recently. The mayor of Pollenca came by together with the two social workers who helped us greatly with their straightforward and fast approach. To round out the year, everyone involved wanted to exchange ideas once more and discuss continuing the collaboration.

This Tuesday there will be a special Christmas menu. There will be “sopa Nadal”, a creamy potato soup. After that, as a main course, a spicy chicken stuffed with mushrooms and apples, and as the crowning finale the classic Tarte Tatin.

Thinking out loud: What is our journey through this beautiful world about, if we cannot contribute something to help others? Everyone can do something. No great resources are needed. Everyone can help within their means. We just all have to contribute something together!

Our founder, Arnd, has always supported charity projects with Notebooksbilliger.de. They have financed the construction of libraries and schools in Africa for non-profit organizations, supported projects in which homeless people were reintegrated into society, or financed the necessary beds for emergency children’s homes, to name just a few examples. We were often surprised because we thought these were areas in which the state would be obligated to act anyway. But we often found that the state simply does not act.

Arnd’s idea was always to “multiply” help. In other words, to help organizations that are already providing help. In an efficient and voluntary way. And to support these organizations with resources, mostly financial means, so that they can provide their help on the ground. A second important point is that ideally it should be “help for self-help” that distinguishes the projects we support. What we mean by this is that the projects should not be forever and without prospects. Rather, we aim for something like “start-up financing” which, for example through improved education, leads to the structures that have been created eventually being able to be operated independently by those who were formerly in need of help.

In 2021, we at PREDATOR SL founded the Fundació Predator. And initially equipped it with capital of 250.000,- Euro, in order to be able to support projects on Mallorca. The website is not finished yet, but you can find a first idea at fundaciopredator.org.

We appreciate tips on projects that could use our support. And we also welcome donations. As a non-profit charitable foundation, we can of course issue donation receipts, which, by the way, are also tax-deductible in Germany.

So help us to help! If you have any questions, please contact us. We want to keep the foundation as lean as possible. And not “burn” our foundation capital on personnel costs or other expenses, but be able to let it go 100% to the good cause. We can guarantee the same for your donation.

Inequality in the world is growing. At the same time, in many places the willingness to help others through selfless, voluntary work is growing. We want to help those who are already helping others, so that they can help even better. Help us do that!

In that spirit: Merry Christmas!

Álba