The cold weather fills up the stocks of clothes
21-01-2010

The students of Roskilde Production School, who are voluntarily helping The Project Outside by sorting out clothes for the homeless, had to work overtime these last days.

In the last two months the donations of clothes have followed the temperature: the colder weather, the more clothes.

The clothes have to be sorted out carefully according to type and size in order to distribute it in the best way to the homeless.

Normally six students from Roskilde Production School are taking care of this job once every month, but because of the great number of donations that have arrived recently no less than fourteen students were involved, when the group last came to help Project Outside.

It’s a good feeling to help other people

Eighteen-year-old Maria Miller is one of those who have been sorting out clothes for Project Outside many times.

- I really enjoy participating in this work. And I would like to continue to be a volunteer at Project Outside when I have finished my studies at the Production School says Maria Miller.

Being asked why she enjoys taking part in this work she answers: - Because you get to help other people.

- And besides this you are more satisfied with yourself says nineteen-year-old Christian Larsen. He is placing the clothes that have been sorted out on the shelves in the small stockroom, where the volunteers in The Mobile Café and those who work in the streets can collect them.

Armani-shirts and Louis Vuitton-scarves

The clothes that Project Outside receives come from private persons or from shops that still have clothes left when they have to close down. Most of these donations are very fine and good clothes.

- I have seen scarves from Louis Vuitton, shirts from Armani and very beautiful boots from Friis & Co, says Maria Miller.

The warm clothes are the most popular for the time being while “best clothes” like suits are put away for special occasions, it might be a funeral where homeless friends of the dead person would like to dress in a suitable way.

The students will become good ambassadors

The students from Roskilde Production School have now been helping Project Outside for about two years. A great number of these young people plan to get an education as social workers or within the health sector, and the participation in the work of Project Outside gives them a good training and experiences in these areas.

This co-operation was arranged by Susanne Christensen who is a teacher at the Production School.

- First of all because I find the idea of reuse very important but I also saw a possibility that by participating in this job our students could see that our society has got a top and a bottom, says Susanne Christensen.

And the young persons from the Production School are glad to have this experience. It means something for them to help doing this job and to feel that they can make a difference, says their teacher.

Susanne Christensen has no doubt that this cooperation will make the young students role models for other young people:

- They can show other people that we have to take care of the homeless.