The people who come by come for all sorts of things. “Now you see a lot of Ukrainians or people from Syria who come for crockery and other household items. Those people have nothing at all. Other people come again for blankets. Because a lot of people tell me that they can’t turn on the stove this winter. So then do they come here to get warm blankets or winter clothes.
The stories Ann hears means a lot to her. “Once a girl came in here with a mother. That girl was wearing a thin skirt and socks, while it was very cold outside. Of course that does something to you, it stays with you. That’s why you do it.”
Ann started in the garage with her two daughters, Liesbeth and Geke. “During a conversation in the car, we talked about throwing away nice clothes,” Ann explains. “Then we decided to collect it and give it away.” After a while, the council knocked on the door that they had to move. “Then we moved to the barn and then to another location because we were growing so fast.”
She now only runs the center with Geke. “But I also asked my husband Piet to help. And a friend often helps too. Because it’s so busy.” The shop is open on Tuesday afternoons and on the first and third Saturday of the month. But Ann doesn’t think about stopping. “These people should all be given a chance.”