It is now a tradition. Every second Saturday of December is Super Saturday for the Drenthe food banks. 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 three thousand crates and boxes of food with a total value of around 150,000 euros.
At the Jumbo in Westerbork they have been busy handing out shopping lists and collecting since this morning. “We cannot possibly buy the food we collect today,” says Alie Reitsma, coordinator of the Midden-Drenthe Food Bank. “We don’t have the money for that.”
In Drenthe, about 3,000 people use the food bank, which is slightly less than last year, but the food banks always have a shortage 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.
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.
Also new this year is the major DE coffee points fundraising campaign. Last week people could hand in coffee points at RTV Drenthe. For these points, the food banks receive packs of coffee from DE. For example, a pack of coffee costs 640 points.
– In Hoogeveen and surrounding villages there are collection campaigns at sixteen supermarkets. 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 will be distributed in Paterswolde, Zuidlaren, Gieten, Vries, Annen and Rolde.
– Volunteers are available at 29 supermarkets in Emmen and Coevorden.
– 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 Beilen 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.
– Flyers are also distributed in the municipality of Borger-Odoorn. This happens at the COOP Schippers supermarket in Odoorn and at the AH and Boni in Borger.
RTV Drenthe reports live on the day of action for the food bank. This can be heard on Radio Drenthe during the programs Hemmelliedand from 12 noon to 4 p.m. there will be a special radio broadcast about the food bank campaign.
These visits can also be seen live on TV Drenthe between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Reporters Elly Smit and Wim Boer visit the collection points in Zuidlaren, Norg, Smilde, Meppel, Hoogeveen, Emmen, Gieten and Assen.
View the photos of the fundraising campaigns in Drenthe below: