In late 2016, Olst in Transition organized a meeting at the Kulturhus in Olst, with Freek de Jonge as the guest speaker. When he asked what kinds of initiatives supporters were looking for, someone stood up on behalf of the popular secondhand clothing store and charity foundation Bij de Buuren. The organization was in danger of closing because it was losing its free retail space in the town center.
During a follow-up meeting, Olst in Transition brought together various initiatives that were all looking for a home. By joining forces, the Good Neighbors Foundation was able to rent a storefront and grow into a versatile hub for sustainable initiatives. In addition to secondhand clothing, the space now hosts a monthly Soup Café, a Neighborhood Market (“homemade gifts with zero carbon footprint”), fruits and vegetables from the Overkempe organic farm, packaging-free dry goods from ZonderMeer [LINK], and the Olster Repair Café. Today, Goede Buren also runs Warm Voor Elkaar on behalf of the municipality, a project aimed at combating energy poverty.
Residents of Aardehuis are involved in many of the social enterprises and initiatives hosted by Goede Buren. This is no coincidence: their social, economic, and ecological values align seamlessly with those of Aardehuis. Both initiatives wholeheartedly embrace mottos such as“Alone you go fast, but together you go far”and“Sharing is the new multiplying.”
