Local support of increasing importance for many food banks in Groningen

This support comes from growers, churches, companies, ‘ordinary’ private individuals, students and also supermarkets. This is what a ‘tour’ teaches us Dagblad van het Noorden along the eight food banks in the province.

Expiration date

These supermarkets have long been major donors to food banks. But they are focusing more on anti-food waste measures. For example, by offering products that are close to their expiration date cheaper. This leaves fewer products for the food banks.

“We receive 75 percent less food from supermarkets,” says Wieb Roffel of the Het Hogeland Food Bank, which helps 360 people. “Luckily we get products from growers, farmers and others. Recently 800 kilos of onions. That help is essential. Just like the efforts of our volunteers.”

Supporters

Churches, companies and private individuals are important pillars of support for the food bank in Westerkwartier, says vice-chairman Anna Veeneman. Partly thanks to them, the 450 clients receive food. The spokespeople for the food banks in Oldambt/Pekela, Veendam and Eemdelta also call this local help essential. They currently help 677, 180 and 426 men, women and children respectively. In all cases it is not the case that supermarkets no longer provide anything at all. Products still come from there too.

This also applies to the food bank in the municipality of Groningen, which currently supports 1,192 people. “Fortunately, we still receive products from supermarkets,” says director Dineke Venekamp. “But our annual Christmas campaign that we recently had is also very important. Supermarkets also play a role in this.”

Shopping notes

During this campaign, students and other volunteers stood in and near supermarkets, with shopping notes from the food bank, and asked the public if they wanted to buy something from the list. “A lot of people did that,” said Venekamp. “Churches and schools also collected as part of the campaign. This means we have a stock of non-perishable products again, which is what is needed. We also receive money from private individuals with which we can purchase food. Sometimes we have to because we get less.”

The food bank in Groningen also functions as a regional distribution center for all Groningen branches. Food also arrives there and is distributed among those locations. The Central Groningen Food Bank benefits greatly from that center, says chairman Beno Munneke. He and his fellow directors and volunteers provide food parcels to 800 people. Several hundred less than last year. Munneke sees the energy surcharge and high employment as possible causes of the decline.

Slight decrease

There is also a slight decrease at other food banks, some of which are currently seeing more people in financial need reporting. On the other hand, the StadsWolde Food Bank is experiencing significant growth. It helps poor residents of the municipalities of Stadskanaal and Westerwolde and was founded less than a year ago. Before that, another food bank was active in those municipalities.

“We started with 90 households,” says chairman Goziena Brongers. “Over the course of this year, more and more came forward. We now help 238 households, or 596 people. Local help, from churches and entrepreneurs for example, is also very important for us.”

National association

Spokesman Hans Schoenmakers of the umbrella national Association of Dutch Food Banks also sees a smaller number of products from supermarkets elsewhere in the country. The association is involved in filling the distribution centers and has noticed this trend itself. She tries to make agreements with food producers, but also buys food, if there is no other option.