Koffiehuis to go

Collaborative project with Kees Zwart (https://keeszwart.com/about). Het Koffiehuis (the coffeehouse) is a meeting point/shelter/daytime activities and aid organisation for the homeless in the city of Amsterdam. The coronavirus pandemic posed an enormous challenge for Het Koffiehuis. Due the social distancing and lockdown measures imposed by the government the coffee bar area of Het Koffiehuis had to close. Meaning that the homeless lost their social hub and point for assistance, the social workers lost contact and track of the people in need. For this project Kees and me followed Het Koffiehuis intensively for a year and documented how volunteers, social workers and homeless people worked together to keep this valuable cornerstone of homeless aid in Amsterdam alive, through mobile coffee hours, gardening activities and street cleaning. The stories of the people of Het Koffiehuis will be published in a book and on show in an exhibition, all proceeds go to Het Koffiehuis and similar organisations. Text by Kees Zwart, photography and video by me.