{"id":148494,"date":"2022-12-23T12:04:14","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T11:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=148494"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:35","slug":"these-employees-sorted-eur-christmas-hampers-at-the-food-bank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/12\/23\/these-employees-sorted-eur-christmas-hampers-at-the-food-bank\/","title":{"rendered":"These employees sorted EUR Christmas hampers at the food bank"},"content":{"rendered":"

Expecting a box full of sweets and other goodies, many people look forward to their Christmas hampers. However, there are also many employees who donate their employer\u2019s gifts to the food bank. Five EUR employees went to help sort those last Thursday.<\/p>\n

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Sunlight illuminates the distribution centre's warehouse.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAysha Gasanova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Elo\u00efse Swets and Alexandra van Doorn are part of Erasmus University\u2019s Team Christmas hampers. Every year, they make sure the boxes are put together and sent out. All employees are also given the option to donate their Christmas gifts to the food bank. This year, 192 boxes were donated. \u201cThis time we thought, maybe it would be nice if we also help unpack and sort the parcels,\u201d says Elo\u00efse.<\/p>\n

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Nicole Groen at work in the distribution centre. <\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAysha Gasanova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

In the largest distribution centre of all food banks, five EUR employees from the Marketing and Communication department are standing with their sleeves rolled up, providing people living below the poverty line with food crates. It\u2019s strategic advisor Nicole Groen\u2019s first time at a food bank distribution centre. \u201cI find it sad that the food bank is needed,\u201d she says. \u201cEspecially in a rich country like the Netherlands. Still, it is nice to see that people donate and so many volunteers come here to help,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Heavy, but sociable<\/h2>
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Jorian Waleson and Floris Rietveld. <\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAysha Gasanova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

These are busy times at the distribution centre, so the work is structured carefully. Someone is placing the crates on the conveyor belt and others are standing behind the belt to fill the crates with food. Floris Rietveld is senior web editor and finds it interesting to see how the distribution centre works. He\u2019s busy distributing the potatoes. \u201cThis is quite heavy work, some 1.400 crates pass by and it\u2019s going very fast. I\u2019m definitely not idling here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the EUR employees are supported by other volunteers. The holiday atmosphere is also helping, with Christmas songs playing continuously and the occasional person singing along very loudly. Jorian Waleson, campaign developer, thinks it\u2019s all very cosy. He had taken this week off work, but decided to come and help as well. He\u2019s not working together with his colleagues at the university, but helps sort donated orders by online supermarket Picnic. \u201cI think it\u2019s a super good initiative by the university, it is totally in the Christmas spirit,\u201d he says. \u201cEven without my colleagues it\u2019s great fun, everyone here is very sociable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Helping is important<\/h2>
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Martha Bonefaas is one of the volunteers at the distribution centre. <\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAysha Gasanova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

One of those other enthusiastic volunteers is Martha Bonefaas. Martha is 61 and is always happy to help at the food bank, even when injuries make it difficult for her. \u201cI have a prosthesis in my arm, which makes it hard for me to move my left arm. Still, I want to be here, because I find it so important and fun to help people and do my bit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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More Christmas-y stories<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t