The “mosaic class” from the Lycée Technique de Bonnevoie (LTB) organised a large collection of clothing at their school and produced an information booklet for the customers of Luxembourg charity Stëmm vun der Strooss.
The students had chosen to donate the clothes to Stëmm vun der Strooss (SVDS), a non-profit association that supports the social and professional integration of disadvantaged people.
The idea for this collection took place in February, and the class contacted everyone in their school to participate, amounting to 2,080 people in total. This charitable action was very successful and they received donations of clothing from many students and teachers.
With the support of their teachers, Marie-Lou Goedertz, Stéphanie Schmit, Patrice Entringer-Schmitt and Guy Kess, together the class gathered and sorted all the clothes into a total of 16 boxes: for women, men and children.
Stëmm vun der Strooss is headquartered just next to the LTB school. "We are neighbours! The choice of which organisation to donate to was clear - we are familiar with and greatly respect their work and the difficulty of the lives of their clients. We wanted to do something to help," said the students. "We are very pleased to have done something to help those in need."
The class also designed and produced an information booklet. The booklet contains important and key practical information for disadvantaged people: where they can eat, sleep, wash, find showers, clothing as well as the opening hours and contact details of useful facilities. Stëmm will organise the printing and distribution of 1,000 copies in English, French and Luxembourgish on their premises.
Director of SVDS, Alexandra Oxacelay, invited the class to visit the 'Kleederstuff' to see where people can come to get the clothes that have been donated.
A team of 10 people from professional integration programme work in the two Kleederstuff workshops. Donations of clothing come from individuals, but also from collections organized by schools, colleges and businesses. They are sorted there and washed for redistribution free of charge to people in need that visit their premises in Hollerich (7 rue de la Fonderie) and Esch-sur-Alzette (32 Grand Rue).
Properly dressed, people trying to improve their social situation are in a much better position to present themselves for job interviews, search for housing or go to court. The objective of the Kleederstuff is to enable disadvantaged people to regain their dignity in this way.
Photo by Sarah Pitt
