{"id":10922,"date":"2020-04-17T18:53:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T18:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salarmyeds.org\/?p=10922"},"modified":"2026-05-13T18:55:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T18:55:08","slug":"coronavirus-in-the-netherlands-the-cartoonist-the-cruise-ship-and-the-prison-cell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salarmyeds.org\/index.php\/2020\/04\/17\/coronavirus-in-the-netherlands-the-cartoonist-the-cruise-ship-and-the-prison-cell\/","title":{"rendered":"Coronavirus in The Netherlands: The Cartoonist, the Cruise Ship and the Prison Cell"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Atlanta, GA:<\/strong> All means possible are being deployed by The Salvation Army in The Netherlands<\/strong> as they seek to meet homeless people\u2019s needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The low-lying European country has recorded 30,449 cases to date, with 3,459 confirmed deaths (4\/17\/2020). Shops, businesses, schools and many public utilities remain closed, with social distancing regulations in place and gatherings of more than three people prohibited.
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Across the country, a key Salvation Army focus is the impact of coronavirus on homeless people. To this end, an awareness-raising campaign has been launched to address how the Dutch government\u2019s instructions to stay at home could be applied in the case of people without a home. The campaign \u2013 running across TV, radio, online and in major national newspapers \u2013 asks simply \u2018Stay at home? How?\u2019
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Menno de Boer, Leger des Heils (The Salvation Army) Marketing and Communications, explains: \u2018The best solution to this problem is to provide homeless people with a permanent place to live \u2026 either on their own, or a safe place to live with help and guidance from an organisation like The Salvation Army.\u2019
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The initiative attracted the attention of popular topical cartoonist Loko, who created a visual representation of the question that is being posed by The Salvation Army. In the cartoon, a slug asks a snail: \u2018Jij hebt makkelijk praten, maar waar moet \u00edk dan heen?\u2019 (\u2018Easy for you, but where am I supposed to go?\u2019)
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The Salvation Army\u2019s campaign has been backed up throughout the country by provision of additional temporary accommodation for homeless and other vulnerable people.
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In Rotterdam, The Salvation Army has partnered with EasyHotel and the cruise ship Allegro which is moored in the city\u2019s harbour. The accommodation \u2013 operating at greatly reduced capacity because of the coronavirus crisis \u2013 is being made available to homeless people who are susceptible to COVID-19 because of underlying health conditions. Building on the experience of an initiative in nearby Gouda, The Salvation Army\u2019s regional director Gert Jan Freeke explains: \u2018Having your own space with your own sanitary facilities is good, particularly with the need for scrupulous hygiene at this time.\u2019
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Owner of the Allegro, Mark Jongedijk, is glad that his ship \u2013 with the \u2018best view of the city\u2019 \u2013 is being put to good use. \u2018This is a great way to still use the ship, and to give people the opportunity to stay overnight with us for whom that is usually not the case,\u2019 he adds.
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The initiative in Rotterdam is being supported by the municipal authority.
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Meanwhile, slightly less luxurious \u2013 but no less valuable \u2013 accommodation has been opened by The Salvation Army in a redundant prison in Maastricht. Forty-one former cells have been furnished through the generous support of IKEA.
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\u2018Initially, their reaction was a bit wait-and-see, but now the residents are happy,\u2019 said The Salvation Army\u2019s facility manager, Joke Wisseborn. \u2018Some of our clients say: \u201cI’ve never had a room of my own\u201d. Others say: \u201cI used to live here [in the prison], now I am again!\u201d But people are happy with the security this building provides, and particularly the privacy. They have their own shower, for example.\u2019
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Elsewhere in The Netherlands, The Salvation Army was delighted to receive six richly-filled bags of groceries in Eindhoven, from a women\u2019s group at the local mosque. \u2018We must help each other especially at this time,\u2019 read the accompanying note. The goods will be distributed to needy people in the community.
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Meals are also being distributed in Dokkum, thanks to the kind support of KB Food and Drink. Forty trays of tasty chilli con carne helped to provide a nutritious takeaway meal for homeless people in Ede. And Salvation Army youth workers in Kennemerland have provided local young people with a \u2018mystery\u2019 bag of fun activities, including a challenge for the older recipients.
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IHQ Communications
International Headquarters<\/em><\/p>\n

The Salvation Army<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Atlanta, GA: All means possible are being deployed by The Salvation Army in The Netherlands as they seek to meet homeless people\u2019s needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. 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