Living Together Kerkrade

In Kerkrade, the organizations MeanderGroep Zuid-Limburg, LEVANTOgroep, SGL, XONAR, Impuls, Radar, GGD Zuid-Limburg, NOVIzorg, the Platform Maatschappelijke Ondersteuning Kerkrade and the municipality of Kerkrade have joined forces. Because by joining forces and better coordinating opportunities, they can do more for the people who need Health and help.

But this cooperation goes beyond the professional institutions mentioned above. There is an important role for the citizens of Kerkrade. "Some like to help others, others can desperately need that help," says Leo Jongen from his role as coordinating Alderman Social Domain.

Neighborhood Power

Independence, social contacts and being able to continue participating in society are of great importance to everyone. To enable people to remain in their own environment for as long as possible, the various KerkradeHealth) organizations use each other's strengths. They cooperate as much as possible, but also ask Kerkrade's citizens to contribute to this cooperation. By appealing to and encouraging citizens' own strengths as cooperatingHealth) organizations, neighborhood strength is created; this informal Health, such as voluntary work, ensures that people can continue to participate in society. With more social contacts and social cohesion as a result.

Actually, we already knew it: together we are strong! In Kerkrade, this is put into practice within "Living Together.

Living Together Journal

In the April 2016 "Samen Leven Journaal," all parties involved explain the developments and opportunities in interviews and articles. You can also read about the role Kerkrade residents play in this development. Furthermore, practical tips and important contact addresses are given in it.

Editions Together Living Journal

The digital editions of the Together Life Journal can be found through the web archive of this website. 

Living Together movie

Also watch the Together Living Kerkrade film.

Examples of collaboration Together Living

Cooperation between organizations and the volunteer efforts of citizens is already happening in Kerkrade in various ways. 

Social neighborhood teams

Social neighborhood teams have been formed to provide support to individual clients, even if they face complex problems.
When district team employees exchange data, they respect the clients' privacy. This was established in early 2016 in the Covenant on Living Together.

Shopping Bus

Stichting Gehandicaptenzorg Limburg uses passenger vans to drive its clients to day care and home again. In the meantime, the vans are not used, so they stand idle in the parking lot. A resident of Kerkrade thought it would be good if the elderly could continue to do their own shopping, transported and accompanied by volunteers. The vans are now being made available as a shopping bus for the elderly who have difficulty walking.

The collaboration is as follows: SGL provides the passenger vans. The supermarkets Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS ensure a pleasant reception for the customers. The theory and practical test for all candidate drivers is taken care of by Rijschool De Langen and Impuls Ouderenwelzijn Kerkrade coordinates the registrations and rides.

The most important link in the Grocery Bus project is the group of volunteers, who work as drivers to transport participants safely. "The drivers are great," believes Lucy Papousek (94) who has been using the shopping bus from the beginning of the project, "lovely people who help us in and out of the bus. I always advertise the shopping bus a lot, because it is a very enjoyable outing."

The advantage: the elderly can do their own shopping, meet other people and have a sense of participation in society. On the other hand, the passenger vans have a function, even if the clients transported in them are at their destination.

District points

In the various Kerkrade community centers, organizations such as Radar and LEVANTOgroep work together to provide their clients with an enjoyable daytime activity. Volunteers assist clients with activities such as painting, chores, communal coffee and dinner times and helping local residents. But such a community center is also the place where local residents can drop in for a cup of coffee, a chat, where they can ask their questions and offer their help. The advantage for Kerkrade's residents is that there is always a place nearby where they can drop in, that there is a place where they can come into contact with others, where they can put their request for help to someone and so the right help can be provided more quickly.

Clients of Radar and LEVANTOgroup enjoy the run-up and entitlement it brings to them.

Because every person has talents and in a neighborhood that talent can be used. An example: an elderly neighborhood resident still lives independently, but can no longer maintain his front yard. Radar clients are present at the community center. One of the clients likes gardening. The two people were brought together through the community center. The elderly person now has a tidy front yard and the client has a meaningful and pleasant day.

For addresses and current opening hours, see the overview in the KerkradeWijzer.