The Heusdenhout district in Breda is lucky. Because Brabant’s best neighbor lives here. Although the modest 87-year-old Ruth Huldsel doesn’t quite want to believe it herself, she was presented with the Golden Neighbor Award on Sunday.
“I am the golden neighbor,” says Ruth with genuine surprise about the honor. “To my great shock and bewilderment,” she also admits.
“When children lose their house key, they always ring my doorbell.”
On Sunday, in honor of Neighbors’ Day, Ruth was crowned the best neighbor in North Brabant. The neighborhood had decorated everything in the playground around the corner: “When I walked in I saw all kinds of tables, flags, cake and lots of people,” she says. “I thought there was a wedding going on. It didn’t occur to me that this would be for me.”
In her eyes, what she does for the neighborhood is nothing more than self-evident. That’s why she was a bit shocked that she was being put in the spotlight for it. “I think it’s a bit nonsense,” she says. “I don’t do that much, do I?”
“She really connects people in the neighborhood.”
But neighbor Monique immediately puts a stop to that: “Yes, she has no fewer than seven house keys from people who live here in the street. She takes care of the plants or pets for everyone and she is always cheerful. She connects people in the neighborhood. really together.”
Ruth, in turn, immediately becomes shy again. “I’m retired,” she seems to want to defend her good deed. “Why wouldn’t I help people? And I love people, I really enjoy the contact.” Monique says that most people also know where to find her. Ruth: “Yes, wonderful, when children forget their house key, they ring my doorbell,” she says, smiling.
“I also find it scary to think that I am the friendliest neighbor in Brabant.”
Still, she takes the prize with some pride. The award states: better a golden neighbor than a distant friend. Neighbors like you make the neighborhood a pleasant place to live.
She also shows how many flowers, gift vouchers and chocolate she has received from neighbors. “And even from the mayor and my home help!” It moves her: “It just makes me cry, because I think: I didn’t deserve that at all. Isn’t that automatic that you do that for other people?”
The latter also worries her a bit. She is slowly starting to accept that she is the golden neighbor on the street. “But I also think it’s a scary idea that it’s me from all of Brabant. Is there no one in the entire province who does it better than me?” She winks encouragingly: “I hope so.”