Cindy brings warmth to the street

How can I do something for my neighbours and make sure we look after each other more in the street? It was with this wish that Cindy, a resident of Zandbank, came into contact with Welzijn Lelystad's community work. She was already known as someone who is always ready to help others. Now that her neighbourhood is a Lief en Leedstraat, she now also has the means to extend her involvement more widely.

Gangmaker

A chat, a card or a small gift: for Cindy, a resident of Zandbank, it is natural to look after her neighbours. She recently became the pacesetter of the Love & Suffering Street in the front part of Zandbank. 'If it's up to me, we'll turn it into a whole Lief & Leed neighbourhood,' she says enthusiastically.

Looking out for each other

'If there is anything, neighbours know where to find Cindy,' says mother Sonja proudly. 'She didn't get that from me, by the way,' echoes right after, 'but from her father. He was like that too.' When he died a few years ago, Cindy, her husband Heri and her mother Sonja received food from neighbours for seven days. 'So heartwarming, especially when you experience such a big loss.'

A card and flowers

In the courtyard where they live, people look out for each other and also take care of each other a bit. 'When a little one is born or someone just comes out of hospital, I bring a little something.' Thanks to Welzijn Lelystad s budget, Cindy no longer has to pay for this out of her own pocket. Just like the cards, flower cards and stickers.

Budget for neighbourly help

Neighbourhood worker Ronnie handed over the pot of money and cards to Cindy recently. 'My colleague Anna saw during the door-to-door interviews from the Together Lelystad East programme how involved Cindy is and pointed out to her the existence of the Love and Suffering Streets.' Cindy: 'I had never heard of it before, but nice that it is there.'

Neighbourhood with traditions

She still has plenty of plans. 'Yes, we have a mix of origins in this street and celebrate all kinds of things: Christmas and the Sugar Festival. This year, we will celebrate Christmas outside with all the neighbours.' Her husband Heri adds: 'Don't forget November 11, which we have been celebrating for 25 years. Cindy is dressed up as a witch then and we all have horror images, like a crawling corpse. The neighbourhood loves it! Nice to see that the children of the past now come with their own children.'

A good neighbour

With becoming a Love and Suffering Street, there is more budget to do something. 'It is important to get along well with your neighbours. There are also quite a lot of people who feel alone and need contact. We always say: better a good neighbour than a distant friend.'

I wish every neighbourhood in Lelystad had a Cindy. The energy she exudes is amazing. Nice to look after each other as neighbours in this way.

- Ronnie Lans, community worker