With the cold weather, a little warmth is not a luxury. But not everyone can afford to stoke up the stove. The Salvation Army has therefore opened community center rooms again this winter in various places in our province to warm up.
There is a sweet influx of coffee drinkers in the Salvation Army corps building near the center of Emmen. “It really is running or standing still,” says Roelof Wolfs. “It flows in and out here. Sometimes the coffee table is completely full, other times it is empty and the volunteers can also have a sandwich for themselves. But it continues all day long.”
According to Wolfs, the warm living room has a double meaning. “It is of course literally warm here. So if you cannot afford to turn on the stove at home, you can sit warm here and drink a cup of coffee. But it is also warmth in a different context. The coziness, for a moment an arm around your shoulder when you’re having a hard time.”
Some people enjoy it so much that they even come for a cup of coffee several times a day. One of them is Ben Boer. He lives nearby and regularly drops by with a pack of cookies or a bag of licorice. “It’s just nice here. I meet people here, have a chat.” Hafida Semlali can also regularly be found at the coffee table. “I think I’m here once a week. Then I take a look at the second-hand clothing that they also sell here and then have a cup of coffee.” She thinks it is important that the Salvation Army offers this. “Especially for people who don’t work and just sit alone all day. Then they can get out and meet people.”
Because the weather has only been colder for a few days, they have not yet noticed a huge crowd in the living room in Emmen. But when the price ceiling for energy is lifted next January, they expect more activity. “We also noticed this at the beginning of the year when we started this. It was really busy then and we even hired more volunteers to help and set up an extra table.”
But busy or not, coffee is free in Emmen. And visitors can stay as long as they want.