Doing is the new thinking

Doing is the new thinking Doing is the new thinking! Oosterhoutvoorelkaar in conversation with Eugène Springer "Doing is the new Thinking." The tone is set. Eugène Springer, man with a social heart, volunteer and cook at the Dining Room, says this with great conviction during a conversation with Oosterhoutvoorelkaar. Eugène started the Dining Room in January 2017 in the Bunthoef. And that became a great success. Even such a great success that Eugène is now wondering whether he is not exceeding his goal. At the start, the Dining Room had 24 guests, but now between 70 and 90 guests come every week to enjoy a tasty plate of hot meal at Eugène. "Actually, the Dining Room is a hobby that got out of hand. It seemed like a challenge to show that for an amount of 3 euros you can make a meal that is healthy, tasty and fresh and with a slightly different twist than what you cook at home". The moment he decided to start the Dining Room as a volunteer, he realized he was making a commitment. After all, voluntary is not without obligation. Now he feels like he can never stop. "Morally speaking, the pressure to continue is high right now." Since an Indian rice table was on the menu, the number of guests has not been lower than 70. "And that's getting a bit too massive for me," says Eugène. He is now looking for other ideas to change this. "Maybe I should go cook at another location to take the routine out of it a bit. It shouldn't become a soup kitchen." Eugène Springer started the Dining Room not specifically to help people with a small budget to have a good meal. His intention was precisely to bring a diversity of people together at the table. Eating together is good for establishing and maintaining social contacts. And that without interference from all kinds of authorities, because Eugène hates procedures. From the 3 euros he receives per meal, he pays the costs to be incurred and he doesn't want any further "hassle". He does the cooking himself, but when serving he is regularly assisted by other volunteers. "I prefer to get volunteers here from the area. And sometimes I can also teach them the tricks of the trade, which increases their chance of work in the hospitality industry." Eugène hates sweet talk and fancy words. "Then people talk about social cohesion in the neighbourhood. That is of course nonsense, because with an initiative you always only reach a part of the people who need it." As long as others don't make a splash with his initiative, Eugène thinks it's fine. He doesn't like "what's right for what". Doing something for society gives you a lot of positive results. In any case, it gives you a lot of fun and new contacts and in some cases it helps you find a paid job. "It is also good for young people if they do voluntary work," Eugène continues enthusiastically. "Gradually they learn how a cow catches a hare and they work on their social skills". Returning to Eugène's statement "doing is the new way of thinking", he explains: "there are far too many meetings these days. If you look at the efficiency of all those consultations, it is often sad. You just have to start with something you want and if things go wrong, you adjust. If you really like something, just do it". Do you feel addressed by Eugène's enthusiasm and do you also want to work as a volunteer? Then visit the website Oosterhoutvoorelkaar.nl. All questions for help are listed on the website and you can see for yourself how diverse those questions are. Or come by during our walk-in consultation hours. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or on Wednesday or Friday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at Arendshof 83. The coffee is ready! But you can also call us on 0162-471115. Share these stories and inspire others to help too! Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Whatsapp Forward