Starting next week, lunch packages will be handed out to more than 400 students at various Zaandam primary schools. It is an initiative from the municipality of Zaanstad because it receives signals that more and more children have little or no food in their drums. “To prevent shame or stigmatization, all students at the schools are given a packed lunch,” explains Jacintha Bannenberg of the Social District Team.
“It is quite a logistical challenge to provide all the children with sandwiches and also to deliver them to the participating schools,” continues Jacintha. Sixteen schools are currently taking part, including primary schools in Zaandam Oost and Wormerveer. “We know from those schools that poverty is high.”
Volunteers wanted
The neighborhood team is still looking for volunteers to provide all those children with two sandwiches. “The idea is that the schools will receive a packed lunch twice a week. That means that we make sandwiches every morning from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., so that’s 20,000 sandwiches a week.”
People who want to help with making sandwiches or have ideas to contribute in a different way can report to Mirte Agter of the Social District Team via the email address: [email protected]
Jacintha emphasizes that the implementation will be closely monitored. “We want to burden the teaching staff as little as possible with this.” The neighborhood team will also try to expand the packed lunches with fruit and vegetables. “The first weeks we will only deliver sandwiches. In addition, we will consult with various wholesalers to see if a fruit snack or small cucumber can be added.”