Sinterklaas bench | September 3, 2019

Sinterklaas bench

Sinterklaasbank opens registration for 6,000 children

Elisa Nuij, chair of the Sinterklaas Bank, is pleased that even more children can be helped this year: "Everyone knows that Sinterklaas is a special and magical celebration. That means every child receives a gift. I still vividly remember the moment I walked into a bare house in 2006. Bare walls. Mattresses on the floor. The gas, water, and electricity had been turned off. On one wall hung a drawing in beautiful colors: I saw Sinterklaas and his helpers on the parcel boat. The bright drawing, in contrast to the cold house, deeply moved me. That night, I put my daughter to bed. The next morning, she woke up with red cheeks from excitement and immediately ran to her shoe to see what Piet had put in it. The child in the drawing would never experience that feeling. It broke my heart, and so the Sinterklaas Bank was born. No child deserves to have to wonder, because of poverty, if they were good enough."

New partner

Due to the bankruptcy of Intertoys, it was uncertain this year whether the Sinterklaas bank would be able to provide thousands of children with a gift. Elisa Nuij: “The bankruptcy of Intertoys was primarily a tragedy for all the employees involved and their families. Intertoys had been a valued partner for us in recent years. However, the bankruptcy also threatened a tragedy for the children we try to help. Fortunately, we have found a new partner. Top1Toys will help us with the logistics of providing 6,000 children with their gifts. We are naturally very happy about this and grateful to Top1Toys for it.”

To register

As a parent you can not Submit an application yourself. But only through an intermediary, someone professionally involved with the family, such as a social worker, administrator, debt counselor, or someone from the local community team, youth services, school, or general practitioner.

Registration is open until October 15th, or until we reach 6,000 children, so don't wait any longer! Go to www.sinterklaasbank.nl to register a child.

About the Sinterklaas bench

The Sinterklaasbank Foundation was established in 2006 and provided 50 children with a gift that year. More than ten years later, the Sinterklaasbank has brought joy to tens of thousands of children with a gift. Children at risk of poverty do not receive a gift. The Sinterklaasbank is a volunteer organization and focuses on children from families experiencing hidden poverty. It does so respecting the wishes and privacy of these families, based on the belief that every child has the right to a wonderful Sinterklaas evening.