In Den Bosch, more than three thousand people live below the poverty line. Frank de Bie (58) saw the need for food in his city increasing and he decided to take action. “I have known that feeling of hunger myself and I will never forget it. Now my goal is to make sure no one in this city goes to bed hungry.”
Inflation and increasing energy prices hit people who are already less fortunate. Frank de Bie saw the gas bill in his area skyrocket from sixty to more than two hundred euros. “Some people really can’t afford that.” And where there is poverty, there is hunger, Frank unfortunately knows from experience. “That can then ensure that children are sent to school without breakfast.”
At the same time, he saw that ‘many lovely people’ were willing to help others. The higher the inflation, the more initiatives arose to help others. That inspired him: “I have a large network and I have a lot of time. I thought, I have to do something!”
“Cooking for a few more people can make a world of difference”
He did that via Facebook, with a page that he the Bolle Bellies calls. “People who consciously or unconsciously have a meal left over can place it there and thus come into contact with someone who can use a meal.” Unconsciously, because Frank also knows that the Dutch are in the top five when it comes to food waste. That came together so beautifully. “A lot is thrown away and that’s how it ends up well.”
You can also consciously save, adds Frank. “Whether you cook for two or four people does not save a lot of money and time for an average household, but that can make a world of difference for someone who lives below the social minimum.” So make an extra large bowl of lasagna for a neighbor, is his call.
Frank thinks it is very important that his platform is free and that people can respond anonymously. “So don’t respond under the post itself,” advises Frank, “because then people will see that you’re not that broad. Rather send a personal message to the cook.”
The contact therefore remains between the cook or helper and the person who needs the food. “They meet to drop off or pick up the food. That meeting can often lead to very nice new contacts.”
“You will never forget that feeling of cold and hunger.”
The urge to help these people also came from Frank’s own childhood. “I am the eldest of five children and come from a disrupted family.” As a result, he had ‘not such a good childhood’, which was mainly characterized by poverty and hunger. “It is horrible for a child not to have food. Fortunately, things got a lot better from the age of seventeen. I’ve had a good life since then, but that feeling of hunger and cold stays with you forever.” His goal is that no one in this city goes to bed hungry anymore.
“Even more important is reaching people who need help.”
The Facebook group is only a week old, but it quickly grew in membership. Existing organizations are also enthusiastic about Frank’s idea. “It is important to find people who enjoy cooking and sharing or who want to do some extra shopping, for example.” He emphasizes: “But it is even more important to reach people who need this help.”
For this he now receives cooperation from Bossche organizations such as the Vincentius movement and Brabantse Hart in Aktie. “They inform their customers about this initiative. I am also going to make a flyer that food banks and organizations like this can put in packages or put on the counter.”
He clearly cares. When you ask him what he wants to achieve with this, he says with strength and audible emotion: “I just want no one in this city to go to bed hungry anymore. I’m going to fight for that idea and I’m willing to put all my time and energy into it,” he says. “I hope that within three months all those three thousand families will know that they are more than welcome at the Bolle Buikjes.”