Week of the Food Banks
This week marks the Week of the Food Banks, which coincides with two significant days: World Food Day and, today, World Poverty Day. What began 22 years ago as a small initiative from a garage to support people in poverty in Rotterdam while simultaneously combating food waste has grown into the largest volunteer organization in the Netherlands. With no less than 14,000 volunteers spread across 178 local food banks, Voedselbanken Nederland supports around 100,000 people annually.
The Week of the Food Banks kicked off with a conference titled “A Fist Against Poverty.” Here, the impact of the food bank on poverty in our country was highlighted, and ambitions for the future were expressed. The goal of Voedselbanken Nederland is to reach all people in the Netherlands who are entitled to assistance. It is estimated that there are still around 400,000 people who, despite being eligible, have not yet found their way to the food bank. Shame appears to be one of the biggest barriers, something we want to particularly reflect on today, on World Poverty Day.
It is painful to realize that people refrain from seeking help due to shame, but it is also understandable. One food bank client expressed it poignantly in an interview: “There are two kinds of barriers: shame towards my surroundings, and lost pride within myself.” Therefore, we gladly commit to the challenge the food bank faces: helping people in poverty find the food banks, guiding them over the threshold, and offering temporary support while also combating food waste in the Netherlands.
Personally, my involvement with Voedselbanken Nederland has changed my perspective on what I want to dedicate myself to in life. In 2022, I started as a volunteer with the national communications team of the food bank. There, I got to know the organization from the inside and discovered that the motivation behind the work truly comes from the heart for everyone involved. You can feel it in everything that is done. Through Voedselbanken Nederland, I came into contact with Schuttelaar, who was working on a new positioning, website, and campaign for the food banks at that time. This motivated me to join Schuttelaar and dedicate myself full-time to creating social impact, such as indirectly combating poverty and food waste. We continue to work closely with the food banks, actively thinking along on strategic and communicative challenges that contribute to their growth and the challenges they face as an organization.
Because today is World Poverty Day, we would like to end with an appeal: if you know someone in your surroundings—perhaps a neighbor, an acquaintance, or someone you encounter regularly—whom you know or suspect could use help, for example, from a food bank, initiate the conversation. Help them lower the threshold. Everyone who is facing financial difficulties, even temporarily, can use all the support and encouragement they can get.