The LCL North Sea Regatta is our biggest event of the year, which is why we see it as a great opportunity to support a charitable cause. This year, we chose Lucia vzw, for which we raised a total of €12,000 during the event, with the help of our 30 boats. But how will that donation be put to good use? Who can Lucia vzw help with it? Marcel Von den Busch, chairman of the Antwerp division, tells us all about it.

Marcel, for those not yet familiar, what does Lucia vzw do?

Lucia is a non-profit organisation, founded in 1996, that provides financial assistance to families with young children and pregnant women living in poverty in Belgium. We focus on children and youth up to the age of 12 who are growing up in dire poverty in our province. We offer support for their basic needs such as food, clothing, health, and furniture for a children's bedroom. You would be surprised how many children don’t even have a bed to sleep in.

How many children and families need your help in Belgium?

There isn’t an exact national figure, but there are some percentages. In Flanders, about 12% of children grow up in a disadvantaged family. In the province of Antwerp, the rate of child poverty is higher, about 16%, with cities like Antwerp, Boom, and Willebroek seeing figures towards 30%. That’s a lot of children and families who can really use our support. In 2023, our Antwerp division supported around 350 children from 159 families with a total of about €85,000.

How do people find Lucia vzw? What kind of requests do you receive?

We collaborate with various social organisations such as CKG, CAW’s, OCMW’s, Tarag, De Touter, etc. These organisations are already in close contact with families in need. They know us and when all existing government aid seems insufficient, they turn to us. We get requests for children’s food, but also for formula or special food for babies, clothing, furniture, essential household appliances, healthcare, childcare... We are open to all requests made in the child’s interest. In recent years, we've also found hobbies and holiday camps increasingly important. These activities help develop a child's social skills and provide breathing space for both the child and their parents.

Why do you choose to provide financial aid?

One of the big advantages of financial aid is that it can be deployed quickly and allows for tailored emergency assistance. Applications are discussed and processed within a month, so we can help on short notice. As it usually concerns urgent basic needs, it’s important that the aid is provided swiftly and without much bureaucracy. This financial support can be monthly (e.g., for baby food) or one-time (e.g., for a children's bedroom). The family’s support organisation and our volunteers ensure that the funds are properly used. In principle, we support families for a maximum of one year to encourage them. The goal is to give families a boost so they can provide their children with what they need, and then, with further assistance, help them out of the poverty situation.

Do you have contact with the families you help?

We do not have direct contact with the families. We do know their situations through the support application forms they submit. The organisations we work with know the families well, but we place great importance on discretion and privacy. This can lower the threshold for parents to seek help. No one likes to admit their child is lacking something. For us, it’s crucial that they get help. Sometimes, we receive a thank you note or a drawing from the child via the support teams, which of course brings us great joy.

What does support from a company like LCL mean for you?

Such support is indispensable for our operations. We are a non-subsidised organisation and are completely dependent on donations. Every two years, we also organise a benefit evening. Only thanks to the support from individuals, service clubs, and companies can we continue helping these disadvantaged young people. Fortunately, we regularly receive support from these donors. Their donations 100% go to the children since our volunteers do not take any compensation. As mentioned earlier, last year we were able to spend about €85,000 on aid, which fortunately was enough to meet all the assistance requests at that time. For us, support like the donation from the Regatta is very welcome, and we are very grateful for it.

What do you hope to achieve in the future with Lucia vzw?

We hope to continue our work and keep meeting these urgent needs so we can help even more children. In the best-case scenario, we can one day cease operations, which would mean there are no children left that grow up in poverty. In all seriousness: while child poverty will never completely disappear, recent years have shown a stabilisation to a slight decline, we welcome this progress. However, any child in such a situation is one too many. That's why we continue our efforts.