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Customers came from all backgrounds and their ages ranged from 18 to 80. When they arrived to collect their box from the centre each week, they felt like part of a big family and were happy to see the same friendly faces there. Many loved the fact that the fresh food had come straight to them from local farms. They also enjoyed the surprise of seeing what nature and the farmers had provided for them that week. And best of all, they could eat delicious fruit and vegetables, and save them from going to waste. Soon Isabel had a long list of people waiting to join the scheme. The farmers were delighted too, and it wasn’t long before others were contacting Isabel, offering to sell their produce. Isabel loved the fact that she knew all the farmers and customers personally and she enjoyed visiting the farms to collect the produce and helping to pack the
boxes herself.
As the story of Fruta Feia spread, they started to get lots of attention from newspapers and magazines all over the world, but Isabel didn’t truly appreciate how important Fruta Feia was to her community until disaster struck. One morning on the way to the countryside the van’s engine caught fire and within minutes the team had lost their only form of transport. Although unhurt, Isabel and her friends were in despair. How would they be able to get the produce from the farmers back to the city? But Isabel thought quickly. She phoned a restaurant friend, who lent them his van. When they finally arrived back in Lisbon, the team were three hours late and had only 45 minutes to prepare
all the boxes – a task that usually took three hours. But Isabel arrived at the centre to find extra volunteers waiting there. They had heard about the fire and come to help. Miraculously, they managed to finish filling all the boxes before customers started arriving. Later, when customers, farmers and supporters learned what had happened, they rallied round to help buy a new van. Thanks to their amazing generosity, Fruta Feia would carry on.
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