In our province, the number of families that have registered to receive Ukrainian refugees stands at 2,703. That’s what Robert Zaal tells about Takecarebnb, an organization that matches host families with refugees. “And that is without registrations from other organizations that transfer their host families to us.”
“In the past two weeks, 25,000 host families have been added,” Zaal told NH Radio today. In comparison: last year 300 new registrations came in to the organization, which has been in existence since 2016. “And that was already a lot at the time,” says Zaal.
Host families come in all shapes and sizes, he says. Single households, couples whose children have left home, couples with a three-room apartment who have made a room available. “We even had a skipper offer his ship.”
Requirements
According to Zaal, it is necessary that you have a ‘warm heart and a cool head’ if you want to receive a refugee. He warns: “Think carefully about what awaits you. What would it be like if these people came to live with you? Can you give them enough privacy?”
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In addition, there is a chance that the people you take in are traumatized and filled with sadness, anger and frustration. A host family must also take this into account.
Safe
Takecarebnb is now working hard to screen all registered families and to judge whether they are really suitable to receive people. “An important question we ask is: are you prepared to request a declaration of conduct? Because that just has to happen.”
Despite the fact that 25,000 families have already registered nationally, Zaal still calls on people to do so. “There are always a few that fall off. And if the war continues for months, there may be a need for new host families.”