Amsterdam supermarket allows vulnerable families to do their shopping for free | inland

A supermarket opened in Amsterdam on Tuesday where vulnerable families can do their shopping for free. There is one condition: the families must agree that a life coach will assist them in the coming months, writes The parole.

These life coaches help, among other things, with the search for a job or internship and solving any (addiction) problems.

The initiative comes from Abdelhamid Idrissi, founder of Stichting Studiezalen. With his foundation, Idrissi has been trying to help vulnerable families for some time. For example, by setting up safe and quiet study places for children from underprivileged families. Idrissi managed to raise the financing for the supermarket with the help of crowdfunding and private donations.

But he demands that interested families work with a life coach “to really get their lives back on track.” Within eight months, a family must be more self-reliant.

The supermarket is filled with products sponsored by fellow supermarkets, such as Vomar. Other local entrepreneurs are also helping. The shelves are so well stocked that people seeking help can shop for free every day.

The range is also adjusted if customers need certain products. This can vary from a specific type of toothpaste to a bicycle lamp. The demand is tracked by employees of the supermarket and Stichting Studiezalen.

Eighty families in Nieuw-West are currently being helped in this way. “The demand is much higher. But whether we can help more families depends on whether we can get even more sponsorship,” Idrissi says to The parole.