"Would you like to make snacks for Neighbours' Day?" we ask the women's morning visitors. "Oh yes, Neighbours' Day. Cosy! When is that?" Well, when we ask, it's still three weeks away, but we want to arrange the food on time. The ladies cannot overlook those three weeks. "Maybe I'll have visitors then! I don't know if I can. But if I can then I want to make some."
By now, Neighbours' Day has taken place. After several years of organising it, everyone knows how much fun it is and everyone brings their own neighbours and acquaintances along. For the children, there is a sports and craft activity and a bouncy castle. The flea market stall attracts the necessary visitors. Fortunately, the tasty snacks also came well; we enjoyed all the goodies!
Neighbours' Day offers a lot of conviviality and thus bonding in the neighbourhood and around the Poster Work. It literally brings people across the threshold. It allows us to make contact and tell people what is going on in De Poster. Girls are invited to the girls' club, other visitors to the language lessons or homework supervision. A group of women understood that we are Christians. They said Islam was the best faith, but actually they wanted to know what Christians believe and think. So Neighbours' Day offered all kinds of starting points to strengthen and expand our work in the neighbourhood.
One visitor commented: "This is so cosy! When is it Neighbours' Day again?" That's not until next year... But maybe we'll see him again at another nice Poster activity.
Reprinted with permission from the October-December 2023 newsletter of The poster in Veenendaal
