Some experiences don't allow themselves to be planned. You sign up for a Charity Day, where you can dedicate half a working day to a social initiative and come back with a different view of the world. For Christel and Brenda from the Sales department, this was the case again when they joined the Salvation Army for the second time. "You help out for a few hours, but what you take away ... lingers for a long time. It makes an impact."
Christel has been working at Jaarbeurs as an account manager within the Public cluster for over 10 years. Brenda started in April 2024 and works within the same cluster with a focus on care titles. They did not yet know each other well when they filled in this Charity Day together. That shared experience made them linger after the event. "You don't know in advance exactly what you are going to do," says Christel. "But that's precisely what makes it valuable. You step into somewhere you don't normally go."
Behind the counter
They helped behind the Salvation Army counter: pouring soup, handing out sandwiches, providing coffee and tea. And sometimes they handed out clothes. The first thing they noticed? "This is a serious safety net for people," says Brenda. "People come here because they really need it. You felt that right away." She is not just referring to homeless people, but also to people who have a roof over their heads but feel lonely. For them, this is a place to walk in, have a chat and be seen for a while. What touched her was the attitude of the visitors. "So much kindness and gratitude. Grateful to be there and listen for a moment."
Making an impact
Afterwards, they decided to have a coffee together. "We had to land for a while," says Brenda. "Everything you see and hear there, you take with you." Christel nods and adds:
"You really realise: this is just happening here. In Utrecht. Almost around the corner where I live." Her outlook has changed: "It's not as black and white as you sometimes think. It's just people like you and me. Divorce, bankruptcy, bad luck; it can happen to anyone."
Little things that stick
What especially stuck were the moments when they had to sell no. "At a certain point there are no clean socks or shirts left," says Christel. "Then you only have a size 40 left and there's someone standing in front of you with a size 45. And you know: that person is living on the streets."
Since that day at the Salvation Army, she has been collecting clothes herself. Through the neighbourhood app, neighbours and stuff from her family. "Once in a while I cycle by with what we have collected. It may be small, but it makes a difference." Brenda also notices that her outlook has changed. "You think differently about what you get rid of. Put it on again? Or shall I take it to the Salvation Army? You know it will be used immediately."
Join in too!
Both find it valuable that Jaarbeurs offers the Charity Days. "You literally get time to do this," says Brenda. "I always wanted to volunteer, but with children and a full-time job, finding the time is very difficult. Now it can literally be done during my working hours. That makes it feasible." They advise colleagues to do it too. "Take advantage of it," says Christel. "It is offered to you to go somewhere different, with a different mindset, to contribute to society. You are purely there to help people. Asked whether they would sign up again next year for the Charity Days, Brenda does not hesitate for a moment: "I would so do it again!"
