During the month of December, the team at the Hasselt-based marketing agency Expliciet went all out to sell as much gingerbread as possible. Their goal was to support VZW Isbroodnodig, a local organization that fights hunger among schoolchildren. Their efforts paid off, as they raised a total of €7,500. With this amount, the non-profit can fill no fewer than 6,000 empty lunchboxes for schoolchildren in Limburg.
Today, one in four students sits in the classroom hungry. More than 43,000 children in Belgium eat insufficiently or unhealthily every day, regularly skipping at least one meal a day. When this news reached Expliciet, several committed team members challenged their colleagues to support a gingerbread sale to fill empty lunchboxes in Limburg through the local organization, VZW Isbroodnodig. “We were shocked to hear that so many children are in school with hungry bellies. At Expliciet, we can sit down every afternoon and enjoy an extensive bread meal, thanks to our housemother Greta. You quickly assume that this is a given for everyone, but unfortunately, it isn’t.
We also consciously chose a local charity because poverty isn’t just something you encounter in big cities. It’s much closer to home than we would think.” – Liesbeth Vrolix, HR Manager at Expliciet
The immediate circle of the forty-strong marketing team certainly knew it: the marketing experts sold massive amounts of gingerbread to family, friends, acquaintances, and more, raising €5,000. The directors of Expliciet were deeply impressed and decided to add another €2,500. In this way, Team Expliciet was able to hand over the wonderful amount of €7,500 to Marijke Lambreights, the driving force behind VZW Isbroodnodig.
“As soon as you announced the amount, I was truly speechless. Your team’s efforts show that positive and warm gestures still exist, because this amount is truly exceptional. A big thank you, also from all the schools and children. With this amount, we can fill 6,000 lunchboxes, and that is a lot—a very lot!” – Marijke Lambreights, driving force behind VZW Isbroodnodig
VZW Isbroodnodig fills lunchboxes with sandwiches, toppings, and yogurt at more than 20 schools in Limburg. Every month, the schools provide them with an order list, which the members of Isbroodnodig then order from Colruyt via Collect&Go and a local fruit grower. After visiting their suppliers, they deliver to the schools within two hours. The schools, in turn, freeze the stock so they always have something tasty on hand to satisfy hungry bellies.
They also provide the schools with snacks, fruit, and some even receive breakfast. Last year, through ‘De Warmste Week’, they set up a program to also provide soup as part of the project.
VZW Isbroodnodig tries to respond flexibly to the needs of schools, so if there is a need for other products, they always look at how they can help.