LOCHEM - It was born out of necessity: Het Buurtkastje at the Heggerank 42. It is a cupboard of food, intended only for those who need it most. The initiator is the 56-year-old Hetty Mol, who can call herself an expert by experience. "In the past, I had to make ends meet with my growing daughters with very little money. The month regularly seemed longer than my money was sufficient," says Hetty as she proudly talks about her Buurtkastje.
"The idea actually came from someone in my app group. It belongs to Christian women who live in Oss, Dieren and elsewhere in the country. Getting by with sixty euros a week is not doable for a family with a low wage or benefit. Look at the prices for gas, water and electricity. And the groceries are also becoming more and more expensive," says Hetty.
"When the idea came up for a Buurtkastje with food and other necessities, such as detergents and toilet paper, I was informed about what can and cannot be done," Hetty says with some pride and enthusiasm. The box itself came about through a sponsor contribution from the local hardware store. What is in it in terms of food must be packed in cans or jars.
Furthermore, het Buurtkastje can only contain shelf-stable milk, pasta, rice and spreads (sprinkles, jam)." It is just as hot or cold in the cupboard as outside. When it's freezing, you can't actually put any liquid in it and in the summer, for example, chocolate is out of the question, that melts away. Furthermore, there are no alcoholic beverages in it," Hetty said.
Up to four
Het Buurtkastje is firmly attached to the façade of Hetty's house, so it is not taken away. It is also not the intention that the content is 'shopped empty' in one go. A maximum of four items are allowed. Hetty Mol opens the doors of het Buurtkastje to show what's inside: Tubes of toothpaste, cans of orange. a bottle of bleach, pastes, powdered coffee, sprinkles, shampoo and many other products. Young people from Staring College are passing by through the street on their way home. "I'm not afraid they'll take anything with them. I hope they know the box and let us know at home where it is so that those who need it can get something out of it", Mol says.
From neighbourhood village Barchem Hetty already received a plastic bag with various foodstuffs. "That makes me so happy," she says. She immediately calls on everyone to put food that they do not need in het Buurtkastje.
"At Cornelis Plus Supermarket you can save for a package that contains food and other items. If there is something that is not used, do it in the neighborhood cabinet that is to the right of my front door."
Facebook
In the meantime, Hetty Mol has created a Facebook page under the name Buurtkastje Lochem. On it she shares the latest information about the products that are in the cabinet. "If you need toilet paper or detergent, you can do that by means of a personal
message via the facebook page. I don't just put all such bottles of detergent in the cupboard. Even if bread is put in the cupboard, I let you know on Facebook from what time it is there."
(source: translation of this article in local newspaper, (
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07-04-2022 we have taken pictures of the contents of het Buurtkastje. These pictures are in the gallery of this Waymark.
These are the products in the cabinet:
At the time the photos were taken at this waymark, the contents of the neighborhood cabinet consisted of, among other things: Burrito mix, instant coffee, bread mix, cane sugar, cookies, whipped cream, hand cream, soft drinks, spaghetti, mustard, various vegetables in cans or glass jars, chicken stock , kitchen paper, the, a zucchini, baking bread, chewing gum, toothpaste and two Covid self-tests.