Super Saturday, it has now become a household name in Drenthe. Today the thirteenth edition of the fundraising campaign for the Drenthe food banks starts. And that is desperately needed, emphasizes Ton Sleeking, chairman of the South-East Drenthe Food Bank.
At dozens of supermarkets, volunteers from food banks, churches and service clubs hand out shopping lists to collect products. Last year, the Drenthe action day yielded around three thousand crates and boxes of food with a total value of around 150,000 euros.
At the Jumbo in Emmen they have been busy handing out shopping lists and collecting since this morning. Important work, because the number of food bank users is increasing, Sleeking explains. “We started this year with around four hundred households, and that has increased by fifteen percent if you look at current figures. And what is also very remarkable is that the number of people living in such a household is increasing. In other words: we are having more and more large families.”
In total, this concerns about 1,100 people in Southeast Drenthe who use the food bank. And that increase cannot be explained by the fact that people are better at finding the food bank, Sleeking emphasizes. “If that were the case, I would be very happy with that.” However, according to Sleeking, this is not the case, because there is still a large group of people who are entitled to support from the food bank, who do not use it.
About 3,150 people use the food bank throughout Drenthe, which is slightly more than last year. The food banks always have a shortage of products, because it is becoming increasingly difficult to collect free food. This is because supermarkets are increasingly purchasing more competitively and there is little left to give away.
That’s why volunteers are collecting extra today. “Fortunately, many people today spontaneously give something for the crate,” responds food bank volunteer Bep van der Velden. “That just makes you very happy.”
The food bank’s customers generally receive a weekly food package, which they can pick up at a collection point. The food collected through the campaign is intended for next year.
– There are collection campaigns at twenty supermarkets in Hoogeveen, Zuidwolde, Pesse, Hollandscheveld, Elim and Noordscheschut. Volunteers from the Rotary, the Soroptimists, the church and the food banks are ready to collect groceries.
– In the municipality of Westerveld, volunteers from the food bank distribute flyers in Havelte, Diever, Dwingeloo and Vledder.
– Flyers are also distributed in the municipality of Noordenveld. This happens in six stores in Roden, Nieuw-Roden, Peize and Norg.
– Lions Club De Hondsrug supports the action in the municipality of Aa and Hunze. Flyers are distributed in Gieten, Annen and Rolde.
– In the municipality of Tynaarlo, flyers are distributed in Vries and Zuidlaren at four supermarkets.
– Volunteers are available at 26 supermarkets in Aalden, Borger, Coevorden, Dalen, Emmen, Erica, Exloo, Klazienaveen, Nieuw-Amsterdam, Sleen, Zwartemeer and Schoonoord.
– The Lions Meppel and volunteers from the churches distribute flyers in Meppel and the surrounding area at six shops.
– Volunteers from the food bank in Central Drenthe distribute flyers at three shops in Westerbork, Beilen and Bovensmilde.
– In Assen, collections take place at the three Jumbos, at the four AHs, at Dirk van den Broek and at the AH in Rolde.
Can be followed live at RTV Drenthe
RTV Drenthe reports live on the day of action for the food bank. This can be seen on Radio Drenthe and TV Drenthe from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the programs HemmelliedCassata and the Ziezo Saturday show.
Reporters Elly Smit and Wim Boer visit the collection points in Emmen, Assen, Beilen, Bovensmilde, Diever, Norg, Meppel, Zuidlaren and Rolde.
View the photos of the fundraising campaigns in Drenthe below: