Homebass is a collective of entrepreneurs from the night, Deejays, social workers and (former) homeless people. With colorful campaigns and events they make the lives of homeless people better. On June 15th, they are our guests and, together with their ambassador Frans, they will tell the special story of Homebass.
“The first ideas for Homebass originated 2.5 years ago during a meeting with all entrepreneurs from the night in Nijmegen. In Doornroosje it was decided the ‘night’ wanted to do more for the ‘day’. The idea was to organize a party and with the money raised Homebass would make homeless people in night shelters happy with a new TV, a new sofa or a new doormat”, says Robert-Jan Glas, one of the founders of Homebass.
A week before the launch of the new movement, corona broke out. With the closing of the clubs, DJs and night entrepreneurs also lost their ‘homebase’. As a result, Homebass had to deal with two vulnerable target groups, homeless people and DJs, who understood each other better because of the resulting situation.
Homebass couldn’t throw a party at the club, so they started organizing activities at the homeless shelters. They collected cool outfits and dressed hundreds of homeless people with care and attention. Above that, Homebass renovated 5 homeless shelters together with several dutch festivals.
On the 2nd of July, Homebass will throw its first party called CLUB HOMEBASS in Doornroosje, Nijmegen. All proceeds from the party will be invested in the Nijmegen night shelters. You can buy your tickets via www.homebass.nl/events to support the movement and to house for the unhoused.
Homebass works a lot with her streetwise ambassadors; people who have experience with life on the streets, like Frans. He has a tough and adventurous life behind him. As an expert by experience, he helps those around him to better understand life on the streets, share life lessons, and most of all, have a good laugh. “Yes, homelessness sucks, but we don’t have to be so heavy handed about it all the time,” says Frans.
June 15th, Homebass will be having a live conversation with Frans at Open Source Radio. We will find out how Frans ended up on the streets via hooliganism, weapon dealing and drug addiction. We’ll also get his perspective on the MFC – the night shelter across the street from Albert Heijn city, the shelter where Frans stayed for a while.
The biggest lesson Homebass learned from Frans? You can change your life without having to change yourself.
Have you always wanted to ask something of someone who has lived on the streets for years? What do you hope to learn from a street wise person like Frans? What do you want to know about the shelter near Appie City? Email your questions to robertjan@homebassfoundation.com, and we will do our best to address them during the radio show.
After the Homebass talks we have Matra and Feryne playing DJ sets in anticipation of their shows at CLUB HOMEBASS, the 2nd of July in Doornroosje.
Program:
17:00 – 17:30: Talks
17:30 – 18:30: Feryne
18:30 – 19:30: Matra