But what Groenendaal finds most impressive is the sense of duty among the employees. The center’s personnel system was also in disarray, yet countless colleagues came to help on their day off. “I didn’t even have to ask for it,” Groenendaal emphasizes. “They just come from their care heart.”
Cold roulade and extra blankets
Just before the power outage, a large number of residents had gathered in the restaurant for a joint activity. Due to the broken elevators, they could no longer return to their rooms. Extra blankets were distributed against the cold.
Thanks to an emergency power supply, which lasted until about six o’clock in the evening, cooking was still possible to a limited extent. We improvised in two small frying pans. “And the roulade that was on the menu,” says Groenendaal, “fortunately it was also delicious cold.”
Yet, between the blankets and the improvisation, something else also lingered. “Ultimately you notice that it also creates a certain sense of solidarity,” says the director.
When the power came back on around half past nine in the evening and the residents could go back to their rooms, some even said that they would like to experience it ‘again tomorrow’. Simply because everyone was in the same boat for a while. This is not necessary for the director himself, he has seen it for the time being.