Layers of Giving: Unveiling the Depth of Social Impact

Maria Isabel Torres Baptista Parreira Jonet
Graduated in Economics in 1982 from the Faculty of Human Sciences at the Catholic University of Portugal. Married, mother of five.

President of the Portuguese Federation of Food Banks Against Hunger and the Lisbon Food Bank Against Hunger. She served as President of the European Federation of Food Banks for five years (2012-2017) on a voluntary basis.

A social entrepreneur, she developed a management model for non-profit organizations based on process efficiency, which enabled the creation of 21 Food Banks in Portugal. This model is now replicated in several European countries, as well as in Angola, Cape Verde, and Mozambique.

In 2004, she founded ENTRAJUDA, an innovative project in the field of social solidarity aimed at equipping social solidarity institutions with management tools and resources to enhance the efficiency of their operations and the effectiveness of their results. As part of this initiative, she created the Volunteer Exchange, the Goods and Equipment Bank, and the "Give and Receive" platform.

In response to the social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, she designed and implemented the Emergency Food Network, ensuring food support for individuals who lost their jobs, were unable to work, or experienced a reduction in income.

Recipient of various awards and distinctions.