More than 600 children and young people in Almere have received gift vouchers from the Marsé entrepreneur family. The vouchers go to children from families with low incomes or debts. Coordinators of the Almere initiatives ‘Als ik later groot ben in Almere’ and ‘Dare to dream in 036’ distribute the vouchers to families who have little money to buy gifts themselves. There are also vouchers for children staying at the asylum seekers center in Almere and for unaccompanied minor refugees living in the Holiday Inn.
This is not the first time the Marsé family has made a large donation. Since 2020, they have annually given to Almere children in December. In previous years, December packages, tickets for the climbing forest ‘Fun Forest’, and bicycles were donated. In recent years, gift vouchers with a monetary value have been chosen so children can get something that matches their interests.
A mother wrote the following: “Thank you so much, we really need it. This way I can still put something under the tree this year.” Another parent mentioned the stress she experiences: “How very kind! Thank you! These months are very stressful and this provides some relief.”
In the past year, the Almere initiatives ‘Als ik later groot ben in Almere’ and ‘Dare to dream in 036’ have helped over 1,800 children and young people in Almere. A large part of these children grow up in families with less money. Helping these children is done in cooperation with various partners, including many Almere organizations and entrepreneurs. Three important fixed partners are: Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur Almere, Fonds Bijzondere Noden, and Voedselbank Almere.
Donations and help from the city, such as the gift vouchers, provide relief to families but also help build a trusting relationship with the family. Following a dream or question from the child or young person, broad conversations are held with all families. Activities are organized for the children; such as participation in sports or culture, or a suitable bicycle or laptop. If necessary and desired, parents are also helped to improve the situation of the whole family. Thus, a dream or question from a child leads to change in a family. The December gift contributes positively to this accessible approach for Almere families.
