Homeless in the Clothing Container: Creative, Heart-Wrenching, and Symbolic
Delen
I wanted to make a private phone call and was walking through the city, looking for a place where I could talk quietly and without being watched. I was struck by how much effort it took me to find such a spot. And I still had it easy: it was dry, and all I had to do was make a call. What if it’s raining, cold, and you want to sleep? Where do you take shelter then?
This month, I read twice about someone who had taken refuge in an underground clothing container. On May 2, the NOS reported that police in Venlo pulled a sleeping man out of one of these containers. AT5 followed suit on May 12. A man in Amsterdam tried to spend the night in an underground clothing container there.
Inventive, I thought. The solution these men found for their housing problem is a testament to creative thinking that many a design firm would envy. They looked at the city with eyes searching for possibilities—true out-of-the-box thinkers. It evokes both admiration and sadness in me.
Because the symbolism is painful: people in a container, as if they were fast fashion—discarded or ready for recycling. Of course, no one literally threw them into the shipping container. They went in on their own, presumably because there was no better alternative. No help, no affordable housing, no safety net. Society may not have pushed them, but it didn’t stop them either.
Both news reports emphasize “rescuing” people from a dangerous situation. And yes, an underground dumpster isn’t a perfect place to stay, and you definitely shouldn’t be inside when it’s being emptied. But the real danger to life isn’t in the dumpster—it’s in being homeless itself.
On average, people who live on the streets don’t live past the age of 50. By comparison, people who have a roof over their heads live to an average age of 75. Imagine if there were a curable disease that cost you 25 years of your life. Would we just stand by and let that disease take its toll, or would we seek treatment?
With today’s daytime temperatures, it might seem far off, but on April 27, there was still ground frost. A warm place to sleep at night is therefore not a luxury, but a necessity. And to think that the number of homeless people in the Netherlands has been rising for years now. It’s enough to make you shiver.
Oh, and if you have a spare sleeping bag, warm blanket, or coat lying around? Don’t throw it in a clothing donation bin—someone might be sleeping in it. Instead, bring them to a walk-in centre run by De Regenboog Groep. Then we’ll make sure our homeless visitors really benefit from them.
Right now, sleeping bags are especially needed.