We never imagined that after arriving in Canada as immigrants, a group of Venezuelans would end up collecting cans and bottles to be recycled.
It all started in Vancouver, Canada, in 2017. A group of Venezuelans created a non-profit society called the Mejor Venezuela Society. We came together to find ways to help our fellow people back home that are going through very difficult times. The serious child malnutrition problem was identified as a critical concern where we could help the most and achieve the most significant impact. Caritas de Venezuela was developing a program to recover malnourished children in 8 weeks, and for this, monetary resources were needed. So we started looking for different ways to raise funds to help them.
A great idea was the collection of cans and bottles. Vancouver is a city with a marked inclination towards the conservation of the environment. There is a recycling program in place for several years in which a refund is provided for each container returned. More than 100,000 containers have been collected, representing more than $ 8,100 that have helped to recover more than 270 children in Venezuela. Recently, the refund was adjusted to 10 cents of dollar per containers, which will help us to help more children.
Additionally, more than 9 tons of containers have been prevented from going to landfills, rivers, and the Pacific Ocean.
How can you help?:
1. If you live in British Columbia, Canada, join the group of Venezuelans working on this noble cause. Just dial our account number (604-422-8770) in any of the 70 places where they receive recycling, and the money will be transferred to the society's account. Here is the information:
2. If you live in other cities where you have a similar container collection system, start your group and email our society at:
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4. Make donations at: