Get creative with strip cards
- Kim Dijkman
- 22/10/2021

In short:
- Approach: make a strip card with personal gifts to safely create a bond
- Time investment: 5 hours
- Costs: 10-50 euro
- Resources: personal commitment, Attention!
- Element for success: personal gifts, commitment, support, team spirit
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What's a nice way to perpetuate a friendship? In the Netherlands it may be less common than in some other countries to give personalized gifts, but at HVO-Querido celebrating and a person-oriented approach are of paramount importance. When colleague Toon becomes a father, he receives a blue strip card. The design is derived from the former bus card. Behind each number is a gift from a colleague:
• Carlos comes to make Thai curry
• Jaap comes to iron all the laundry
• Jitte comes to cook
• And so forth
When he can use someone's help, Toon calls one of his colleagues to ask if he can use a gift from the strip card.
Nostalgia
If you have lived on the street, you may not have had any social relationships for years. If you suddenly have a residential counselor in your life, it can be difficult to build such a relationship. Residential counselor Juwe decides to develop a comparable strip card for this problem. Do they actually still exist, those old bus tickets? It's okay if it's a little old-fashioned. Many clients are between the ages of 40 and 65. A strip card can remind them of their bygone days. For some of them, that was a time when they were not yet addicted and had fewer problems. Good times.
do something together
For each strip on the card, Juwe devises an activity, for example:
• to the cinema
• drink a cup of coffee in a cafe
• visit a doctor together
• …
Not all activities need to be done and the dates are not filled in. It is intended as an encouragement. Juwe has the strip card further designed by a graphic designer. Then she hands out the cards to her entire team: six per person.
If someone thinks they can use it, he or she can use it.

Kim Dijkman
Mooie dingen (mee)maken!
Werkt bij HVO Querido als Persoonlijk begeleider
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