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Some of the typical, satisfied little 'customers' of the Vitamin Team!!

After nine years up and running – welcome to C4C’s Vitamin Team!

It’s been recently brought to our attention that, of all the different activities which make up the wide spectrum of C4C’s activities, one of the least visible is probably our “Vitamin Team”! It’s also stubbornly being underreported on. Well, for the record, this is now about to be rectified! Out of the closet it comes and here goes – C4C’s very own “Vitamin Team”! We are being delinquent – no more!

For the last nine years, every Tuesday morning, something remarkable happens at the doorsteps of some of the neediest institutions with resident children around Prague, including homes for orphans and for the physically and mentally handicapped:

An inconspicuous looking white van pulls up in the early morning hours and unloads something that is mostly out of reach for the Spartan budgets of these homes – fresh fruits and vegetables, including such tropical delights such as pineapples, mangos, oranges and other delicacies. C4C’s Vitamin Team has arrived!

“Fresh fruits are a factor we all take for granted in our daily diets”, says Jana Snoblova, C4C’s procurement and warehouse manager and member of the Vitamin Team, “but the children in some these institutions have to do mostly without them.” If it wasn’t for the Vitamin Team, that is! The team hasn’t missed a beat for nine whole years and has during this time made a decisive difference in the quality of life of the many children they serve.

One of the weekly stops of the team is the “House of Goodwill” (Domov dobré vůle) in the village of Nouzov. It is an institution caring for the mentally and physically handicapped and like many others of its kind; it’s working on a shoe-string budget.

"Your regular weekly deliveries of fruits and vegetables are a tremendous help for our children and tenants - especially during this time of crisis, when our subsidies are shrinking. Without your help we couldn't provide any fruits for our residents because we just don't have money for it in our budget,” comments Mr. Chamra, director of the institution.

The program’s success has been due to a large degree to the generosity of the EFES produce company and the commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility by their management team. One of the largest wholesalers of produce in the country, EFES has been the perfect partner for C4C in bringing these healthful and nutritious dietary additions to the various children homes. EFES counts giants such as Tesco and Kaufland to its client base and has been operating in the Czech Republic since 1991.

“Coming from a poor country myself, with many needy children, it’s been my privilege to cooperate with Chance 4 Children during the last decade”, remarks Christos Nikolov, the owner of the company, who is a Bulgarian national. “The C4C team is doing a wonderful job here, helping to integrate children at risk into society. We’re glad we can contribute toward their efforts in a small way.”

In 2013 EFES donated 5200 crates of fruits and vegetables worth CZK 610.944,- for the benefit of C4C’s Vitamin Team. We feel that’s hardly help in a ‘small way’ anymore - it’s outright remarkable!

Kudos, Christos and EFES and thank you for caring!

Meet Jana Snoblova, C4C team member, picking up fresh fruits and veggies at EFES Produce...

..and her side-kick, C4C volunteer Natalie Franke