A doughnut, mulled wine, and deciding for yourself what you pay for something at the Christmas market. Organiser Ralf Brouwers from Eindhoven, together with a group of enthusiastic volunteers, is committed to combating waste and giving things a second life. At the same time, he is supporting the food bank.
The idea for the Christmas market came to Ralf at work. He noticed how many things are thrown away that are still in perfect condition. “I started saving those things with the idea of giving them away at Christmas. But then I thought: why not do it bigger?”, he says. Ralf went to the neighbourhood foundation where he grew up to ask if he could use that space, and he was allowed to.
Determine the price yourself
What makes this Christmas market so special is the lack of price tags. Visitors decide for themselves what they want to pay for the items. “Someone who has less to spend can take a sandwich toaster for €1. While someone who has more money can pay €5 for a candle, for example. All proceeds are donated to Voedselbank (food bank)”.
Voedselbank was a conscious choice for Ralf. “I think it is a nice local initiative and of course the Christmas spirit is very important. Some people don’t have that much to spend. I want to make sure that those people also have a nice Christmas. This way they can still give a present at Christmas”.
Volunteers
With an enthusiastic team of eight volunteers, Ralf is busy with the preparations. They collect items, decorate the space, and create extra atmosphere with oliebollen (Dutch doughnuts), mulled wine and Christmas music. He does find it a bit exciting, but in a nice way. “We are just going to make something nice out of it!”
The Christmas market is on Sunday, 22 December from 10:00 to 14:00 in Uitwijk at Generaal Pattonlaan 124 in Eindhoven.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
