While many scramble to spend their government vouchers on a freebie, some have opted to donate them to charities – and there is now a plan to raise around €20,000 for good causes from the next batch.

The idea was first floated about two months ago and the Sharing is Caring campaign materialised. It collected about €5,000 worth of vouchers that have since been donated to three charities in a team effort by Sigma Foundation, Forestals and Rubs.

By that time, many had already used their vouchers, issued by the government to kickstart spending and stimulate demand during the pandemic slowdown.

But those who had not used them by then were likely not to at all and happy to pass them on for a good cause, said Keith Marshall from Sigma Foundation.

“Their generosity was teased out of them and they forfeited them for the greater good,” said Marshall, pleased with the result.

He claimed many said they would have loved to donate their vouchers but had already used them when the campaign started.

A total of €1,500 worth of vouchers have been passed on to Fondazzjoni Sebħ, with around 50 persons who seek the services of the domestic violence shelter being able to enjoy an extra meal out.

Over €1,000 went to the YMCA. And a total of €2,000, including other food products, were last week presented to the Victory Kitchen, which prepares thousands of free meals for families in need.

The plan is for the vouchers to be passed onto restaurants in return for double their worth in raw ingredients for the Victory Kitchen to feed more families. The amount should be equivalent to another 400 meals.

The second round of consumption vouchers will be issued in January, to be used in local hotels, restaurants, retail and service outlets. The team is planning in advance to collect €20,000, with no intention of stopping if they manage to gather more.

This time they want to identify 10 charities as beneficiaries.

“It is about the collective value of humanity,” said Marshall, adding that some people can make better use of the vouchers and appreciate them more than others.

“For those who have hang-ups using a voucher at a restaurant – for whatever reason – do not throw them away, but donate them,” he urged. “It is everyone’s divine right to use them, but it’s sinful to flush them away.”

The vouchers scheme was first introduced in mid-summer and proved to be a success, kickstarting an estimated €52.6 million in spending so far. 

The new vouchers will now come in denominations of €10 and €15, instead of five vouchers worth €20 each, and the share that can be used in retail and service outlets will double to €40 out of the €100 in total.  Every Maltese resident will be receiving the €100 worth of vouchers to spend locally – but some will be getting more, thanks to this initiative.