ROTTERDAM, 26 September 2025 – A Schiebroek resident has spent eight years running a weekly food hand-out for households who do not qualify for the food bank. On Thursday, the city recognised her work with a €500 cheque.
Every Saturday, Loes Zwarts fills around 45 shopping bags for local families, providing an extra buffer for the week. The volunteer effort targets those who miss official thresholds but still struggle to make ends meet.
A weekly food distribution point
On Saturday afternoons, the front garden becomes a small distribution point. Crates of vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes and spinach sit alongside dry goods ranging from pasta to breakfast items. From 17:00, people drop by to fill a bag.
The hand-out is intended for residents who cannot access the food bank. “This way they still have enough food for the whole week,” Zwarts explained.
How it works
Eligible households are often referred by local organisations such as Dock. After joining Loes’s Facebook group, people book a timeslot to avoid queues and ensure orderly pick-ups.
Zwarts began the initiative eight years ago with help from her husband. What started with six visitors a week has grown to 45, reflecting the reality that poverty exists in Schiebroek too.
Community support and holidays
Families make up a large share of visitors, but younger and older residents also attend; ages range from the 20s to the 80s. Bag size scales with household size to keep the system fair, and the hand-out is framed as a supplement to regular shopping.
Part of the food comes from local businesses. On Saturdays, Klootwijk bakery donates fresh bread; in summer, growers provide tomatoes and peppers. The rest is bought in supermarkets with attention to offers; alcohol is not purchased.
City recognition and how to nominate
During Sinterklaas and Christmas, small extras are added so children can join conversations at school about gifts and festivities. Basic items such as pasta, rice, canned vegetables and chicken form the core of the holiday parcels. Most costs are paid out of Zwarts’s own pocket. “A simple ‘thank you’ is enough. If we did not do this, many people would go hungry,” she said.
Alderman Abigail Norville (Poverty Reduction and Debt Assistance) visited on Thursday 25 September to present a €500 cheque. Zwarts is the seventh recipient under the Samen Sterk tegen Armoede en Schulden initiative, which highlights residents who support neighbours living with money worries. The city invites nominations for future acknowledgements via
