Geanne and Bennie Sterenberg
De Buurvrouw Community Café
This week, we’re meeting Geanne and Bennie Sterenberg from Deelcafé De Buurvrouw on the corner of Hoofdstraat Obergum. De Buurvrouw is a 100% non-profit café where Geanne and Bennie, together with an enthusiastic team of volunteers, serve coffee, cake and more. It is a cosy and welcoming meeting place where everyone is welcome. All of this is driven by a mission to be a good neighbour. “We do this by sharing our time and attention with visitors and volunteers,” explains Geanne.
This makes me happy
For a long time, Geanne, who used to be a teacher, had harboured a desire to create a meeting place. When she resigned from her job, the whole project really took off. Whilst looking for inspiration, she came across Deelcafé De Buurman in Hardinxveld-Giessendam. Their vision and mission turned out to be exactly what made her happy too. After a visit, Geanne and Bennie were certain: this is what we want to achieve in Winsum too. When the premises on the corner of Hoofdstraat and Onderdendamsterweg became available, everything really took off. On 11 February, the community café opened its doors.
“ “De Buurvrouw is an accessible place where you don’t have to do anything; you can just be yourself.” ”
We need each other
“We’ve organised our society in a very individualistic way, but we’re increasingly realising that we really do need one another,” says Bennie. According to Geanne, this concept could therefore work well in many different places. She notes that people often find it difficult to seek connection, yet they actually have a real need for it.
With volunteers
De Buurvrouw is a lovely place not just for visitors, but also for the volunteers who run the café alongside Geanne and Bennie, giving them a meaningful way to spend their time. “It’s lovely to see how the volunteers enjoy spending time with each other and with the visitors. A real win-win situation,” says Geanne. Looking to the future, Bennie and Geanne hope that the activities at Deelcafé De Buurvrouw will continue to grow and that it will become a breeding ground for wonderful new things. But first, they invite everyone to pop in and soak up the atmosphere, enjoy the company of the people there and the delicious homemade cake.
Contact
De Buurvrouw Community Café
Hoofdstraat Obergum 38
9951 AH Winsum
www.debuurvrouwwinsum.nl
