by Greet de Rechter, NOAH coordinator at STC Maastricht
Maastricht is a beautiful city in the south of the Netherlands. The people are doing well, as it seems. However, behind the front door, in secret, people are lonely and longing for meetings, friendship and to be seen. Research shows that 53% of adults in Maastricht are lonely.
Over the past 2 years, Serve the City Maastricht has developed the NOAH program, a friendship platform through which we connect people in and around Maastricht. It is so special to help residents as a team expand their social network. We match for example 1-on-1 residents with each other who have the same hobby or interest (NOAH friend) and we organize activities with groups (NOAH club).
Last Tuesday on Mental Health Day, it was a party, in collaboration with The Social Hub Maastricht. Students cooked for our NOAHs and enjoyed a delicious dinner, with fun and spontaneous encounters. You saw a big smile on a 30-year-old lady that’s dealing with a burnout, you heard a widow loudly laughing with joy, you saw NOAHs complimenting each other. It was an evening full of love, full of pure love. Together we connect the city by helping each other.
