Martina Priekaar is present in Utrecht. There, volunteers help sort baby items, from which packages are put together for parents who have little money. Priekaar: “It’s great to see how much is being donated. We also have regular volunteers who help us during the week, but NLdoet offers an extra option to come and sort.”
Once the items have been sorted, they are taken to the foundation’s head office in Heerhugowaard. “We provide about 5000 baby starter kits per year, but unfortunately we cannot meet the demand with them. One in nine children in the Netherlands is born in poverty.”
In total, NLdoet has organized about 5,500 actions this year. That is less than in previous years, when about 8,000 actions were organised. That has to do with corona, says Sandra Jetten: “Extra measures have been taken. All jobs are arranged in such a way that they can be carried out at a distance of 1.5 meters. And many jobs that would take place indoors are cancelled.”
Royal family with pressure washer
It is impossible to say exactly how many volunteers will show up. About 10,000 people have registered via the NLdoet website, says Jetten. But many volunteers report directly to the individual organizers of the actions and not via the website.
As usual, members of the royal family are also taking part. Two years ago, Prince Constantijn and Princess Beatrix helped refurbish musical instruments. Jetten does not want to reveal where King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima can be found this year: “But I believe that a high-pressure sprayer should be used.”
In 2018, a generous amount of pancakes baked by the royal couple:
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