With a five-course dinner, decorated with entertainment and brightened up with a light route, Hugo van Rooij wants to offer 750 people a wonderful Christmas this year. Anyone who has a small budget or feels lonely will be welcomed with open arms in the Beursgebouw in Eindhoven, which Hugo will transform into a real ‘Christmas temple’.
“There will be 90 tables here,” Hugo proudly enters the room. It’s like it’s his battleground. His upcoming Christmas party should be completely free, with five courses, five artists and Christmas trees on the table. “Without signs of poverty. People should feel rich.”
The Eindhoven resident has been selflessly helping the homeless for years. With his Zonderdak foundation, the charitable man has been helping people who are in difficulties due to poverty or homelessness for 14 years. For example, every year he organizes a Christmas dinner in the Catharina Church in Eindhoven, for people who have no home.
“If I can make those two people happy, why couldn’t I do that for 750 people?”
Last year he got talking to two people there. “Only they were not homeless,” says Hugo. “They told me this was Christmas for them. That’s all they had.” That sad statement gave him ideas. “If I could make those two people happy, why couldn’t I do that for 750 people?”
“I’m sure they will have a very nice Christmas this year,” says Hugo beaming. “This is my Christmas too, isn’t it?” says Hugo. As he walks through the stock exchange building, the grin never disappears from his face. He is that proud. “I think there are a lot of people in Eindhoven who are having a hard time. And I hope they get an afternoon that makes them ask me to do this again next year.”
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