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Eurodiaconia secretariat team study visit to Rotterdam

Study visit to Dutch member, Kerk in Actie, in Rotterdam

On 7 October 2025, the Eurodiaconia team went on a study visit to Rotterdam, Netherlands. The team visited our member, Kerk in Actie, and took a trip around the city visiting centres, foundations, and initiatives that not only help those in need but also bring the community together.

Among the places we visited:

– Sint Pauluskerk: The Pauluskerk Diaconal Center advocates for all people in Rotterdam and the surrounding area who cannot survive without help such as the homeless, addicts, people with mental health issues, people without valid residence permits, those without paid employment, young people without a sense of direction, and vulnerable elderly people. 

– BLEND – Intercultural Church Plants: BLEND is a three-in-one store that combines business, care and meaning in one location. It’s a coffee shop, a barbershop, and a clothing store. More importantly, BLEND is a space for the community to come together; it’s a social heart in the city.

– Goud van Noord: Gound van Noord is a charitable foundation that aims to provide individuals who are considered “disadvantaged” with the opportunity to utilise their talents for the benefit of society and to develop themselves through a range of activities.

– Wijkgebouw De Bron: Wijkgebouw De Bron is a drop-in community center and a welcoming church for the neighborhood. Many activities are organized by the center such as community lunches, language study, homework help, and many more. The center is also open for anyone with questions of any kind, from life to work.

– Exodus House: Exodus House offers shelter and support to ex-offenders and prisoners in the final stages of their sentences who are motivated to leave crime. The shelter offers ex-offenders many physical and emotional services such as residential facilities, labor integration, financial and debt relief, and several emotional-support programs.

– Geloven in de Wijk: ‘Yess Rotterdam’ is a giveaway shop that is building a community where everyone is welcome to develop their talents. They provide free food assistance, neighborhood lunches, sewing classes, language support, and many other services. Residents take the lead in this initiative and together, they work to combat poverty, encourage social interaction, and offer assistance.

About Kerk in Actie

Kerk in Actie is the diaconal programme of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. They work on the following themes: Humanitarian work, refugees, people in poverty, and children in distress in the Netherlands and in various countries, regions and territories.

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