ODEL-HIN KAMNIBEN
GOD IS LOVE
DEUS CARITAS EST
DEAR VOLUNTEERS, at the start of your well-deserved holiday I would like to repeat our motto and message for 2013 ....
"Stop handing out soup, make sure that people can cook their own soup. Homeless people do not really need food in the first place, they can find it in our city. Homeless people have more need for hygiene, hence we give in our open house additional attention to our shower centre. First of all there is need for low-threshold services, with expert guidance.
During the new work year, House Triest - Community House Tabor will make every effort to expand its social service in the future. Our acute emergency night shelter is a solution for people. These shelters are knowledgeable and worthy developed, together with our partners in the City of Ghent and Ghent CPAS. Our social service guides people in finding a bed in an acute shelter. But we try to help the homeless in such a way that they will no longer need our beds. Homeless people do not need in the first place 'emergency shelter beds or additional beds in winter’. They need decent housing forms!” As a community we form a spiritual community within the Congregation Brothers of Charity. The cooperation with the Brother House Holy Angels and St. Stanislas Community have become fundamental. In this way we participate in the globalizing character within the congregation as we try to give shape to the motion 4.1.2 of our General Chapter."
Our community of volunteers has taken the right path. Together we searched and found new partners within our social city, partners who also start from the dignity of the homeless in the first place, partners searching solutions on a structural basis, regardless of their own structures. Partners who create structures to give answers to the needs of today, partners who do not linger in the past. As House Triest - Community House Tabor we found these partners in City of Ghent, Ghent CPAS, CAW's, Ghent Police, District Health Centres, hospitals and many schools. The team of House Triest – Community House Tabor wishes to thank these partners very much for the excellent cooperation.
As others might eat became very quickly as others might sleep and even faster as others might shower. In 2013, we embarked on the road "as others might live." We are working hard to restructure our assisted living. Thanks to the help of many we have three houses available to us to assure worthy assisted living.
1. Brother house Clariet Lippens.
2. Jos Rossini Brother house.
3. Huize Schotsmans.
Three houses forming together our assisted living, all adjacent or near to the Gezondheidstraat 2. We have room for up to 24 people!
This work year we have expanded our team. Ms. Irena Delemanova came in as a multipurpose power within the totality of our operation. She also functions as an interpreter Romanes within our social services. Besides Dirk, Lawrence, Sven Werner, Hubert was feminization more than welcome in our community. Very soon Irena got the name: "The smiling lady of House Triest!" Irena also assures the job as caretaker within our assisted living. We sincerely thank our colleague Lawrence for the nine years he has assured that job. From September onwards Lawrence will be together with Sven responsible for our drop-in centre and our acute night shelters.
Today we work with 123 volunteers, of which a small 50 on a structural basis. Our volunteer community is a multicultural community in the heart of the Congregation of the Brothers of Charity. We reach every week about thousand different people who rely on us for their needs : citizens and new citizens of Ghent. We are a home where everyone is welcome without distinction. Vitinas tu men... (Welcome)
1. Within our acute shelters 25 people per night.
2. Within our assisted living 24 people.
3. An average of 150 people per day to take a shower.
4. An average of 120 hot meals a day.
5. An average of 160 rolls meals a day.
6. Our social service reached an average of 150 people per week. This service is the second largest one guiding people to the acute night shelters within the city of Ghent.
7. Very many spend their day in our drop-in centre, drinking coffee ....
Expertise and inspiration go hand in hand in our house, even though we basically are volunteers! We believe that volunteers who care for people should be guided in this in a professional way. Yes, within our community are some perfect social workers who use their expertise to help people and they do it perfectly! But we are not only social workers! To us our inspiration and charisma are just as fundamental as our expertise. They should blend into each other. As a community we are inundated with mountains of misery, and we do our best. But occasionally it is necessary to take a leave in silence and to release everything saying: "We have done our best, now we let go Lord, entrusting it to you!”
"From the head to the feet
I am the image of God.
From the heart to the hands
I feel the breath of God.
When I speak with my mouth
I follow the will of God.
When I see God
in all the lovely people around me
in our amazing city of Ghent.
I feel no fear,
but love
for everything around me ... "
Dear volunteers, I wish you and all my dear colleagues a nice holiday, enjoy it to the fullest. I would like to send you on holiday with the words of Vincent de Paul:
"Davantage"
With great respect and a grateful greeting, Werner Van de Weghe
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