More than just ice cream: connecting families with the support they need

On Wednesday 10, Thursday 11 and Friday 12 June, our Vebego volunteers headed out into the neighbourhood. In Roermond, Uden and Alkmaar, they were ready with a cargo bike full of ice creams, an informative bag for parents and an open attitude. Through wind, rain and sunshine alike this initiative is too important to let the weather decide.

Why "Sam& de wijk in"?
The name roughly translates as Sam& into the neighbourhood and that is exactly what it is. Going out, showing up, meeting families where they are. Because 1 in 12 children in the Netherlands grows up in poverty. That is an average of 2 children per class. Children who cannot always take part in sport, a birthday party or a day out. You never know what goes on behind closed doors, but that makes it all the more important to simply show up. Many parents are unaware of what support is available. That is exactly why we start that conversation — right there in their own neighbourhood, person to person, ice cream in hand.

'I honestly thought: it's just a day of handing out ice creams. But then you're standing there, you see those children light up and you hear the stories from parents. That's when you realise what this truly means.'

What starts small can grow into something beautiful
A free ice cream might seem like a small gesture, but it opens the door to a conversation that can change a family's life. And those smiles on the faces of all those children? That is what we do it for. This is what Vebego Foundation stands for. Not just financially, but also through the commitment of our own colleagues as volunteers. Together, we achieve more than alone.