She was inspired by 'Donate your Blanket', an initiative that created a lot of media attention the past few weeks. 'I heard Giel Beelen (a famous Dutch DJ) on the radio with the organizers and fully supported their action. Donate your Blanket gained a lot of attention nationwide, but not in Twente, so I decided to make a move myself.'
Positive reactions
Favorable circumstances allowed her to act fast: 'Because I’m a local church member, I could use the church as a perfect location to collect, and it was not difficult to find volunteers, too,' says Vinke-de Kruijf.
Many people, friends and acquaintances reacted positively. ‘They are happy that they can do something, to make a concrete contribution. Friends of the UT have shared my messages regarding this subject on Facebook.
Types of contributions
What should you contribute that is suitable for donation? Vinke-de Kruijf: 'Because the vast majority of the camp is occupied by men, there is great need for warm males clothes and toiletries. Think of sweaters, trousers, tracksuits and razor blades. Also things like blankets, canned food, soap and lighters are necessary.' A full overview is found here (in Dutch).
Fair distribution
Vinke-de Kruijf: ‘The need in 'The Jungle' for clothing and food is urgent. Therefore, two collections will be held. On Wednesday September 9th from 13.00h to 18.00h, and Saturday September 12th from 10.00h to 17.00h in the Lasonderkerk, Lasonderstraat 102. Preferably, bring the material sorted and in bags.’
How will the distribution in the camp go? 'We won’t dump these supplies in front of their noses. Once the material is there, local organizations will see to it that all the collected material will be fairly divided.'
