No Money? No Problem! - The Free Cafe Groningen (or Charity Begins at Home)

Before moving to the Netherlands for school, I would sit on my bed and imagine that life as a "Grad Student" meant:

Someone else's books, I don't wear glasses
Photo courtesy of ncf.bg

   - Attending "academic" lectures (like it's my job) 

   - Claiming a designated seat at the library

   - Having "a chat" with my professors at every opportunity

   - Commenting on every single assigned reading 

We can just #fail that list right away.

When you actually care about something, it's nice to be all about it at certain times, but it's definitely not a regular state of being.

What I didn't really bank on was the engagement aspect of being a student (again). 

My perception of school was like a looping playlist of "read, research, write" - even on shuffle it wasn't very captivating. #realtalk

In a  humanitarian action program, which was all about connecting with people to address the needs of those suffering, it really should be beyond just theories and "what ifs" scenarios. While it's easy to focus on the big #s, the large scale disaster and the widespread suffering, it's also important to come back to basics. 

Being a "Humanitarian" shouldn't just be a label for a project thousands of kilometers away -  it's a commitment to helping people wherever you are.

(Throwback: Eye roll as I can hear my mom saying "Charity begins at home" as 9-year old me insists that any sort of helpful alliance with my brother was in fact not a good idea.)  

It was highly unlikely that the UN or European Commission were going to start a development project here, anytime soon...

But where was the community involvement?
Where were the social groups organizing to combat some big, oppressive, sexy issue?

Enter "The Free Cafe"

Courtesy of The Free Cafe Groningen

We all know the statistics - billions are going hungry while there IS in fact enough food to feed the global population. Further, tonnes of food goes to waste after "best by" dates or when we've decided we're over it and it's headed for the bin. Bringing it closer to home, we see food discarded every day at local markets, restaurants and within our own households.

Instead of feeling defeated by this, the group at the Free Cafe felt empowered to come together and create a community space where everyone is welcome to share thoughts, ideas and a free meal - sounds good right? (nom!) Improving the access to food by participating in local "food saving" and eliminating the need for money the group does its part to provide for the community, purely on a free/voluntary basis. 

While they currently operate once a week out of a donated space, this operation has ambition! The group is planning an expansion to a solo facility; created, operated and shared on the basis of sustainability. Instead of trading in money, the members want to engage the community in sharing their time, skills and experience to strengthen broader community ties. Moving beyond food, the collective hopes to provide programs and workshops based on community needs and available expertise, again, all with the idea of free access. 

Groningen is becoming home to a growing refugee population and hopes are that the Free Cafe will become an additional venue for diverse people to gather and interact in true community style. Whether you live here in Groningen or want to set up a similar project where you live, you can (and should!) connect with the organizers for more info. 

"Why should I care? What's in it for me?" 

During my Comms/PR degree we were trained to hear and internalize these questions before communicating anything (to ensure relevance of information) - but sometimes I wonder if in action it should be, "How can I contribute? What's my purpose?" When our focus is largely on personal gain (in any dimension), it can be difficult to merge this idea with a sense of community. I hope that by being a part of this initiative and dissolving the line between professional gain and personal fulfillment I'll be better at a future career in meeting community needs and attain a greater sense of belonging, respectively.  

Do you volunteer or know any local groups that take a unique approach towards community issues?

Sound off below in the comments!

TedTalk of the the Free Cafe by organizer Ivanka Annott