The food bank in Velsen foresees problems. The number of packages to be distributed has almost doubled in three weeks. At the same time, supermarkets have fewer products left to donate to the food bank.
Peter Nijman is chairman of the food bank in Velsen and, like the others, is committed to helping poor households. “In my last working years I have been working on the construction of a hospital in Nicaragua. Then you see so much poverty and people who need help. Then I thought: Help is also needed closer to home. For example, I am at the food bank arrived.”
In order to be eligible for support from the food bank, households have to go through a process. In order to be able to do something during that period, the food bank took a new initiative at the beginning of this year. “We then started with welcome packages. Anyone who applies for them will receive that, a total of five times. Those people then have to register with Socius and they look at people’s financial situation. If they fall under our standard of disposable income , they are registered with the food bank.”
Read more under the video report about the current situation at the food bank:
Food bank Velsen gets a lot of new customers but fewer products
It is now a matter of making ends meet at the food bank, says Peter. “We get extra products through private individuals and other suppliers, but also through other food banks. At the moment we are still doing well and the packages for today look good.”
However, the ceiling is in danger of being reached. The food bank has gained more than 30 new customers in a period of three weeks.
An elderly man who receives only AOW together with his wife, is this week for the first time at the food bank. “My wife is so ashamed of it, she doesn’t want it. Then I’ll do it myself.”
A single mother with six children was without food last week. Peter tells what they did then. “Her aid worker called and we immediately gave an emergency package, the same afternoon. She is also there today for a package.”
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This Friday, the food bank received a donation of 6,500 euros from the business community. The secondment company has donated to the food bank twice before, but the amount has never been so large. “That amount will be used for the purchase of food, even if we try to prevent that. We do not get certain things now, so it is necessary to buy. We also have to pay rent and energy costs. save for a new bus.”
The food bank hopes to be able to continue in the coming time. If the number of registrations continues to increase, action will have to be taken. “We cannot help more than 85 families. If the number of registrations continues like this, we must quickly discuss alternatives with the municipality,” says Peter.