Assen gets its own clean -up coach. Don’t be shocked, because you don’t get an unsolicited visit if your attic or shed is sufficient with things. But residents who hardly find a way out in the house can get help figuratively and literally anymore.
The clean -up coach is not one person. The position is filled by various volunteers who are affiliated with Werkpro. They look for people at home who seek support when cleaning up.
But how often a house is really ‘full?’ “Well, quite often,” says Marja Wolthuizen, who co -organizes the initiative. “It is more common than you think.”
Rooms are regularly filled with clothing, books, frills and other decorations. “But we also see groceries or furniture from deceased parents,” adds Wolthuizen. “People are ashamed of their situation, do not dare to invite anyone anymore and often get into isolation. That should not be the intention. But sometimes people compensate for a loss by gathering a lot of things.”
Werkpro is already active in Groningen with clean -up coaches, Assen is the first municipality in Drenthe where the project is being followed. “We get questions from everywhere and nowhere. In Assen the demand is high, but perhaps it is expanding to the rest of the province.”