‘Eating together is good. Be quick, as it fills up fast,’ says Cees Broers about the free neighborhood meals at Pirandellostraat in Lombardijen. Through a neighborhood idea, residents can gather at the table every week for a delicious meal in a homely atmosphere.
The neighborhood meals have been running since early October. Every Wednesday, 20 neighbors can join from 5 PM, except during school holidays.
‘It is for all residents of Lombardijen,’ says Cees, chairman of the Tenants Platform Lombardijen (HPL). ‘They can enjoy good food and meet each other in a cozy atmosphere. I can say that it is a great success. It has been completely full from the start, like a sold-out stadium.’
HPL organizes the neighborhood dinner together with Havensteder, the Clothing Bank, and the municipality. ‘I submitted a residents plan and received funding to carry it out. But we do it together. Sandra, from the Clothing Bank next door, is now cooking. I just told her: “don’t always make rice.” We just say that kind of thing to each other here.’
Toast with salmon; potatoes with red cabbage and stewed beef; fresh oxtail soup; strawberries with whipped cream for dessert. The menu is always different. Sometimes the neighborhood officer stops by for a chat or a youth worker joins in. ‘Some residents are in very difficult situations. Here they can share their stories,’ says Cees.
Grateful
City council members and aldermen, such as Abigail Norville from Poverty Reduction, have visited previous activities at HPL. Because Cees has been working for years to improve the neighborhood. He explains why: ‘Research on participation shows that many people in Lombardijen are lonely and that there is a lot of poverty. With the neighborhood meals, we want to get people outside and bring them together. Participation is very important to us. Eating together is good and people are grateful. That’s what it’s all about.’
Register
The meals are at the Tenants Platform Lombardijen at Pirandellostraat 43. Questions or registration can be done via Cees: send an email. Link opens an external page or call 06 243 905 90.
Do you also have an idea to improve or make the neighborhood more fun? Submit a neighborhood idea. Check My Rotterdam - Submit an initiative. Link opens an external page.
Rotterdam Neighborhood News
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