Residents of Southeast Drenthe can already think about their favorite request pictures. Because they can apply for them again between December 14 and 17 during the Glass House in Emmen, which is being held for the tenth time this year. The Children of the Food Bank foundation has been chosen as the charity for this year.
A thinking wrinkle appears on the forehead of Wesly Struik of ZO!34, who is responsible for the organization together with the Drenthe College. What will the Glass House deliver this year? “I think we will reach 40,000 euros,” he estimates.
Almost the same amount as last year. The Glass House then raised 38,000 euros for the Jarige Job foundation. “We should be able to match or exceed that.” In any case, there has been a positive response on social media, where the newly chosen charity was recently announced.
It has now become a familiar phenomenon around mid-December. The square at the Emmer Hema will be transformed into a party area for four days with the Glass House as an eye-catcher. This was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to corona. But last year all brakes were released again. “It was bizarre. After two years of nothing, we were there again. Would it still appeal to people?”
Struik was quickly reassured by the yield of the first day. It was immediately double that of the 2019 edition. The omens are good for this year, he says. “We have a good cause that will appeal to many people.”
This year the choice fell on the Children of the Food Bank Foundation. This organization is committed to children who live below the poverty line. In the Netherlands this is 1 in nine, a total of 435,000.
Children receive a package with clothing and gifts three times a year. For the people behind the Glass House it was a done deal. “I don’t think we even had to think for five minutes about choosing this goal.”
At the same time, the Glass House is preparing for the tenth edition. “We want to do something with that, but we are still in the middle of the creative process. We will certainly look back on the past ten years and reflect on the charities we have had.”
Furthermore, the intention is to make the house itself even more spectacular and impressive. How? “I can’t say yet, because that’s still ongoing,” Struik laughs.