Two Eindhoven residents and freelance musicians have come up with a novel idea during this time of self-isolation – ‘The Isolation Session’.
In this way, Bob de Wit and Koen Verhees, record and broadcast shows. They are working with the Super Nova Studio. These shows can be watched at home. “It is expensive,” Bob says on Eindhovenrockcity.nl: “It is all DIY, everyone who is helping us now is doing so out of passion and because it is cool”.
Not only that – Samen voor Eindhoven (Together for Eindhoven) is a volunteer group committed to making the wishes and needs of various charities reality. “For vulnerable people such as the elderly, homeless and refugees, the measures to reduce the coronavirus have major consequences”, the organisation states in a press release.
The platform connects employees from companies such as ASML and Philips with social aid organisations. Many of these people are now at home and are happy to help others. Volunteers can, for example, get involved by ‘digital coffee drinking with elderly people’.
An advantage of the platform is that the volunteers are highly educated and known to the organisation.
Cheering up the elderly
Hanna Hermanides and Julia Rentena have been hard at work for two full days. They have made almost 20 paper flowers with a sweet personal greeting written in a paper heart. The two girls do not like the fact that the elderly are getting lonely because of the coronavirus restrictions.
‘For the outjes’ (‘For the old ones’) read the hand-written notes. But how do you deliver a flower at your elderly neighbours if you are not allowed to go inside? “My grandmother is alone at her retirement home. I am not allowed to go there. That is why I came along when Hanna asked me”, Julia says.
“Not just to make one for my own grandmother. But also for all the other people alone there.” Together they tried to give the flowers to the older people in their neighbourhood, says Hanna’s mother. But once on the street, it turned out very few dared to open the door.
Tried the home for seniors
The girls then walk to the retirement home in the hope that the receptionist there could arrange something. And that was a good idea. The receptionist at the Dommelhoef seniors home got one of the residents to place all the flowers in a basket, ready to be handed out.
“Are they having a hard time at the home, the girls wanted to know. The elderly lady confirmed. And added she is very happy about the flowers. “Every little bit helps,” she says.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Bob
Editor: Melinda Walraven
