Scherpenheuvel-Zichem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Scherpenheuvel-Zichem food bank, run by vzw Houden van Mensen, serves 300 residents. Its Basilieklaan site closes in December 2025. Alderman Arlette Sannen (CD&V) seeks a new space with storage and freezers.
As VRT News reported, the food bank in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, in the Flemish Brabant province of Belgium, is urgently seeking a new location. Around 300 residents of the city depend on the parcels that are distributed each month.
The food bank is run by volunteers of the non-profit organisation Houden van Mensen (Love People). For years, they have been working from the old post office on Basilieklaan. That building has now been sold. The lease expires in December 2025, and the volunteers must leave before the end of the year.
What future awaits Scherpenheuvel food bank serving 300 by 2025?
The team has been searching for another site for several months. They need a location that is accessible and has storage and distribution space. Thus far, they have not been able to get a solution. This situation raises concerns for the volunteers and families that rely on them.
The city council of Scherpenheuvel-Zichem has confirmed that they are working with the food bank in procuring a new location. Alderman for Social Affairs Arlette Sannen (CD&V) stated,
“We certainly won’t leave them out in the cold. “But it’s not easy, because there are few rental properties in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem. Moreover, the food bank needs quite a bit of space.”
“They need to be able to accommodate eight freezers and a cold room at the new location,”
The alderman said.
“They’ll also need a lot of shelving.”
For a suitable location, the council is looking beyond the private rental market. Options are also being reviewed under the church policy plan. A church building could be considered if it meets the requirements.
Discussions are in progress about where the volunteers will continue to be able to work. If a solution is not reached by the end of the year, the city could provide funding assistance. This type of funding could support the rent, allowing the food bank to continue serving 300 residents.
“Although we first have to consider that within the multi-year plan we are still developing,”
Sannen added.
The food bank in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem has been operating for more than 10 years and is run by the non-profit organisation Houden van Mensen. Since 2012, volunteers have distributed food parcels every month to local families and individuals. Demand has increased in recent years due to higher living costs. The food bank has been working from the old post office on Basilieklaan for several years, but the building was sold earlier this year.
