Last week, on behalf of Sheltersuit Foundation, we visited Wender’s night shelter in Leeuwarden. It was a day full of encounters, stories and shared commitment: we were able to hand over 30 Shelterbags and were present when students from the Hotel Management School Leeuwarden (NHL Stenden) delivered the Sheltersuits they had worn during their sleep-out.
NHL students bring warmth to the city of Leeuwarden
Earlier, the students of the Hotel Management School Leeuwarden organised an impressive sleep-out to draw attention to homelessness. During this night in the cold, they raised €7,000 for Sheltersuit. They didn’t want to simply return the Sheltersuits they had worn that night. Their wish was for these warm suits to be distributed directly in their own city to people who truly need them—a powerful gesture of connection between students and the local community.
Shelterbags for the summer
On behalf of Sheltersuit Foundation we brought 30 Shelterbags to the shelter. A Shelterbag is a portable, water- and wind-repellent bedroll that unrolls into a safe sleeping space, with shelter around the head and upper body and an insulating mat from the ground. Especially in summer and milder weather, it offers immediate protection to people who (temporarily) sleep outside. Combined with the Sheltersuits delivered by the students, Wender now has both a summer and a cold-weather solution at hand.
A look behind the scenes
During our visit we were given a tour by Grita, a youth intervention worker at Wender. She showed us the different rooms and spoke candidly about daily life in the shelter. The strict rules, limited privacy and everyday challenges are tangible, and yet her story carries hope.
The most important thing is making contact. Young people often have no one left, but once that contact is there, something can slowly grow.
– Grita, Youth Intervention Worker, Wender Leeuwarden –
Grita showed us the place where residents leave their personal belongings. These go into bins that are only opened again the next morning. It is sobering to realise that sometimes a person’s entire life fits into one plastic bin.
Hope in practise
Sheltersuits and Shelterbags are not a cure-all in this context, but they do make an immediate difference for people who would otherwise literally be lying in the cold and risk hypothermia. As Grita said: “For someone sleeping outside, it can truly make the difference.” And while the night shelter offers space, there will always be a group of people who, for various reasons (including personal choice), remain on the street. For them, Sheltersuits and Shelterbags provide welcome protection.
Our visit to Wender once again made clear how important collaboration is: from students who step up, to shelter staff who make a difference every day, to the direct support we at Sheltersuit can bring. Together, step by step, we build more warmth, safety and hope.
