Volunteers deliver Christmas loaves to sailors spending the holidays at sea

Volunteers from the Royal Dutch Rescue Company (KNRM) delivered Christmas loaves to sailors who are unable to spend Christmas with their families this year. Due to the coronavirus, many crew members will spend Christmas on board because they cannot be relieved from their duties.

That is why several KNRM volunteers used their last exercise of the year to visit the ships anchored off the Dutch coast. It is relatively common for sailors to spend Christmas working, as they sometimes have to wait for cargo to arrive. However, because of Covid-19, these deliveries have been delayed even more.

“That means that the crew members are trapped on their ship and are worried from a great distance about the safety, the health of their families at home, and the uncertainty of when they can go home themselves,” says a KNRM spokesperson.

“Then the celebration of Christmas without loved ones is extra bitter.” This made the yearly tradition of delivering Christmas loaves all the more meaningful.

The bread was provided by a baker in Haarlem and was received enthusiastically by the sailors.