ELDERLY HOME & EMPLOYMENT AGENCY FOR JUNKIES

In Rotterdam elderly heroine users can get a room in a special junkie elderly home. The project is an initiative of the Junkie Union, the Rotterdam Health department, the municipality and a centre for additional care called the 'Boumanhuis'. The Junkie Union took action because the situation of the elderly users got worse and worse. They had to go in the streets to buy their dope and that is dangerous, because the scene got more and more violent. The use of hard drugs is accepted in the elderly home. Daily, the elderly get their portion of drugs. The social workers, 24 hrs available, are working for the Boumanhuis.

'TOP SCORE' Besides the Elderly home for Addicts, the Junkie Union also started an employment agency for users of hard drugs called 'Top Score'. The agency is a huge success. The addicts are cleaning streets in the city, repairing, gardening in parks and carrying stuff on building sites. Work is the medicine against the use of drugs. Under the group of approx. 500 addicts there are some people who have reasonable education. The moving spirits behind this all are Nora Storm and Reverend Hans Visser. A portrait of fighters for emancipation and acceptance of drug users: 'Working instead of scoring and a quiet old age'. more features

February 22, 2000