With Our Summer Spectacle in the Newspaper
- Melisa D Halley
- Jul 13, 2024
- 2 min read
Our events, including the summer spectacle, are made possible in part by the shopkeepers from the old village in Huizen, the municipality, all residents in our village, and of course everyone who enjoys participating in our events. This includes parents of the children living in our family home, as well as our own family.
This year’s summer spectacle was extra special due to the visit from De Gooi- en Eemlander newspaper. They described our event as follows:
“Bringing vulnerable people together with other vulnerable individuals. According to Melisa Halley, that is the idea behind the afternoon where the residents of family home Homeostasis and their network come together with neighbors and elderly residents of Oranjehof.”
On the square in the middle of the Amaris Oranjehof residential complex, various games were set up that afternoon: Rummikub, a giant Connect Four, a checkers game, and large sticks for Mikado.
“You often hear that elderly people struggle with loneliness, and the children in our home deal with trauma. This felt like a meaningful way to connect them,” says Melisa, who, together with her husband Rockey, has been a family home parent at Homeostasis since its opening at the end of 2022..
Salvation Army
The family home on Hulweg was established by the Salvation Army and is intended for children who, due to circumstances, are temporarily unable to live at home. Alongside their nine-month-old daughter, up to four children between the ages of 13 and 18 live there at any given time.
Fourteen-year-old J.J. has lived there since the beginning and is playing Jenga with the mother of one of the other residents. Carefully, he places blocks on the increasingly tall tower, trying not to let it fall. “I enjoy it. I also sometimes play Rummikub with one of the Oranjehof residents.”
He often plays with Oranjehof resident Anja Kolkman, who is currently playing Connect Four. “It’s great that they organize this. Whenever something is arranged by the house, I’m always there,” she says.
In addition to the games, snacks and drinks were provided, and there was a shopping cart full of prizes for the bingo later in the afternoon. Kolkman adds, “It’s so special that local entrepreneurs have made all of this available.”
Melisa stands beaming in the sun as the square gradually fills with more and more people.
(If you would like to read the full newspaper article, click on the image below.)
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