From a beautiful afternoon to a mission
It's December 19, 2023. The phone rings. Good news. A donation of 7,500 euros. To give something nice to our participants. Something that will really help them. Els doesn't have to think long and decides it should be shoes.
Els is the director at Ervaring die Staat (Experience That Stands). A crazy 'family' where everyone matters. It's an organization that helps socially vulnerable people in the Eindhoven (NL) region give direction to their own lives. And they do much more than that. It is a place that looks at what someone needs and how that can be offered. A special place where many people feel at home who cannot find a place elsewhere.
Shoes...
For many people, a common thing. When they are worn out or broken, you buy new ones.
And then you can choose what colour, style, material and price you like. There is something to their everybody's liking. That's how it is for most people.
There is also a large group of people for whom this is not normal. A group that is always walking in someone else's shoes. Homeless people, who spend days outside. They cover many miles. They rarely have new shoes. While they need them so badly. Especially in autumn and winter when it's wet and cold.
They also have no place they can go to grab another pair of shoes from the closet. They have to go on with those wet socks and feet. So feet problems and wounds to feet are very common.
It's not hard to imagine what several days of walking on wet socks and shoes does to your feet. And therefore how important it is to have sturdy, good, warm and waterproof shoes.
Annet, the shopmanager of the ANWB store in Eindhoven would love to participate in this action. She will arrange extra shoes in the shop and two extra employees to help with fitting and welcome everyone as regular customers. Ervaring die Staat invites 100 homeless people to come in for new shoes. The news is spreading like wildfire.
That Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m., there is a coffee cart outside and some volunteers welcoming people outside the store and some attendants helping them inside. Five customers enter at once. Overwelmed, several homeless people ask, "can I really choose for myself? Anything on that wall?" "It's been a long time since I was allowed to choose what I actually like. I haven't had new shoes in 14 years." One lady, from whom you can clearly see that the hard outdoor life has had its effect on her health, stands in front of the mirror in her new shoes. She turns her foot on the tip of the shoe and smiles. She is glowing.
These are just a few examples of what was accomplished that afternoon. In addition to being given new shoes, they also regained a sense of humanity and dignity.
And all because of a pair of new shoes and the attention of the ANWB.
In the end, we provided 93 people with shoes.
Annet from ANWB closed the day by saying, "I would love to do this every day!"
And that brings us to our mission. An annual national day for new shoes for homeless people. We can make so much difference with something seemingly small, like the basic need for shoes, for so many people living in this situation. Shoes are not something they can take for granted. That difference in worlds needs to be made smaller. Because for them, it makes a world of difference.
EN 
NL