News
Neighbours and volunteers rally to support families from the Sierra Oeste
The community response to the Sierra Oeste fires has turned the La Frontera headquarters in Fuencarral into one of the main collection and sorting points for aid. Clothing, footwear, and hygiene products are being prepared there to reach the sports centres where evacuated families are staying as quickly as possible.
Donations come in continuously, and many arrive new, labelled and separated by category. This organisation makes it possible to reduce times and distribute each item according to the real needs of those who had to leave their homes with only a few hours’ notice.
Volunteers of all ages take part in the sorting, including children and teenagers from the Orión scout group. In the mornings, they fold clothes, separate sizes and prepare specific batches for families, older people and minors housed in reception centres.
La Frontera works in municipalities such as Fresnedillas, Navalagamella, Valdemorillo, Alcobendas, Villanueva de la Cañada, Las Rozas and Móstoles, in addition to the city of Madrid. That prior presence has meant that many evacuees find familiar faces and more personal attention when seeking help.
Needs have changed as the days have passed. At first, breakfasts and meals were sought, but soon changes of clothing, flip-flops, socks, creams, colognes and cleaning products were needed for those who had spent several nights sleeping away from home.
Companies and individuals have responded with donations of toiletry bags and basic items. Volunteers check each delivery so that the material arrives organised and can be used immediately, without placing additional work on the teams deployed in the sports centres.
At the José Caballero de Alcobendas centre, aid is distributed personally. Volunteers look for garments according to each person’s size and preferences, a detail that makes it possible to recover some normality amid uncertainty.
La Frontera has worked since 1988 with people in vulnerable situations and knows many of the affected families closely. That network built over the years has made it possible to react quickly and turn small everyday gestures into practical support for those who left their home behind.