Valeria, an Argentinian administrative employee who has been living in Ibiza for 25 years, has decided to open the doors of her home this Christmas. Christmas to receive people who, as she describes, are “without family and have no place to eat”.
He announced it on Facebook: “On December 25 I will make food at home to whoever is alone and without family this year, contact me. I’m cooking so it will be with love.” In a matter of days, her cell phone was filled with messages. ” I wish I could receive everyone, but it’s going to be impossible”, says Valeria in dialogue with The Voice of Ibiza. Far from the big banquets, the lunch will be simple but traditional, full of festive spirit and solidarity. In her apartment located in Carrer de Ca n’Escandell, near the center, Valeria promises a paella as main course, to which will be added a Christmas soup that a neighbor will bring, the inevitable coffee and the classic panettone.
A “Christmas dining room
Although Valeria has everything ready to receive her guests (there will even be a chef to help her in the kitchen), she does not lose hope that someone can help her to expand the event. “I’ve realized that if we had a bigger place, it would be perfect,” she says, imagining the possibility of a “Christmas dining room” where more people can join in and share the moment. “Aiming for someone to listen to us and give us a place would be ideal. There is solidarity, something will be done,” he assures optimistically.
The rental crisis: the other protagonist
This lunch, born from a gesture of solidarity, also highlights a problem that affects many people in Ibiza: the high rental prices make it difficult to access decent housing. For this reason, the idea is aimed at those who live on the island all year round, especially those who can barely afford to rent a room and who have no one to spend the holidays with. “For many, here it’s either you pay rent or you eat.
Access to housing is very difficult now and it is going to get worse. In winter, you can see rooms for 700, 800 euros. We have a normal salary, it’s not like many people think,” Valeria explains to this newspaper. A situation that, according to her, “is becoming complicated”.
How to help in this solidarity lunch?
To contact Valeria you can do it through Facebook, on her profile. “Whoever wants to offer a bigger place, it would be great to be able to put more paella pans. For everything you need time, desire and attitude, but the reward is to give something good to others and feel accompanied,” he concludes.
