Brunssum SAC children explore commissary as part of field trip

By Charll de Koster, USAG Benelux Public Affairs and Sandra Wilson, USAG Benelux Public AffairsMay 5, 2022

Pretzel making
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Children from the School Age Center at Joint Forces Command Brunssum, the Netherlands visit the Commissary at U.S. Army Garrison Benelux - Brunssum and make pretzels as part of their field trip April 14, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Sandra Wilson, USAG Benelux Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Sandra Wilson) VIEW ORIGINAL
Preparing fruit cups
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Children from the School Age Center at Joint Forces Command Brunssum, the Netherlands visit the Commissary at U.S. Army Garrison Benelux - Brunssum and prepare fruit cups as part of their field trip April 14, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Charéll de Koster, USAG Benelux Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Charéll de Koster) VIEW ORIGINAL
The price is right
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Children from the School Age Center at Joint Forces Command Brunssum, the Netherlands visit the Commissary at U.S. Army Garrison Benelux - Brunssum and play a game where they match products with their prices as part of their field trip April 14, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Charéll de Koster, USAG Benelux Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Charéll de Koster) VIEW ORIGINAL

USAG BENELUX-BRUNSSUM, Netherlands -- After having had several field trips within their own community, the children of the School Age Center at Joint Forces Command Brunssum visited the Commissary April 14 at U.S. Army Garrison Benelux – Brunssum.

The children ages 5 to 10 received an interactive tour of the Commissary.

Leslie Fink from SAC explained that since COVID-19 this is the first time the children left their own community to visit somewhere they usually don't go: “These trips allow them to learn social skills and explore from different views.”

It was one thing for the children to see the products. It was a different experience to actually help in making their own lunches. Store manager Sindy Jaramillo explained how they were “teaching them about healthy living and preparing their own snacks.”

The children were given an inside look in how the goods at the bakery were made. They topped their own pretzels with cheese. Afterward produce manager Davy Stevens gave the children a tour of the back cooler.

“I showed them how we rotate produce,” he said.

Hair nets and gloves were passed out, after which the children proceeded to fill up their own cup of sliced fruit.

All children were rounded up for one last game throughout the store, where they needed to match the list of products with their prices.

Roy Harris, supervisory store associate, set some ground rules before releasing them onto the grocery floor.

“Find it and find the price,” he said, as he handed out pens for them to record their discoveries on paper.

“They are having a ball!” said Commissary store director Darlene Coaxum, seeing the children walking around the store to find the products.

In the end all children left with smiles and stories to tell, getting to enjoy the lunches of pretzels and sliced fruit.