Sheltersuit Foundation and Dutch bedding and mattress company, Royal Auping, both believe in a comfortable night's sleep. Together, we produced 250 Shelterbags, a sturdy mattress and summer sleeping bag combo that rolls up into a bag. Auping was able to provide the mat inside, supporting 250 people so that they don’t have to sleep on the hard pavement.
Sheltersuit's stories of homelessness are harrowing and touch us greatly. By making our knowledge and materials available for the 'Shelterbags', we hope to contribute to the well-being of these people - who lack the security of a home and permanent place to sleep.
Jan Joost Bosman, CEO Auping
For more than 130 years, Royal Auping has been innovating around the best ways to rest. And for good reason. Auping believes a well-rested world is a better world. And we agree.
This shared mission between Royal Auping, along with their experience in producing mattresses made from 100% recycled materials was the perfect basis. Together, we created a comfortable, lightweight and sustainable product, the Shelterbag.
The first 250 Shelterbags have been distributed in The Netherlands, in the cities of Rotterdam, The Hague and Leiden with the help of the Salvation Army, Straat Consulaat and De Binnenvest. We’re in the process of collecting feedback too.
We’re very proud of what we and Royal Auping have achieved. However, with homelessness growing in cities like The Hague and Rotterdam, we’re sure there’ll be more to come.
Married for a little over three years, Inge and Björn consciously choose not to sleep in a homeless shelter. They are not allowed to sleep together there. And they need each other.
In July 2021 we first met this couple from Arnhem, The Netherlands. After hearing their heartwarming story, we handed them the first two Shelterbags with the new Auping mat. The morning after their first night in the Shelterbag we already received a message from Inge:
“We slept great!”
A collaboration with Auping was a long-standing wish of ours. We are both located in the east of the Netherlands and value sustainability while ensuring a good night's sleep.
Bas Timmer, founder of Sheltersuit
At Sheltersuit, we are always looking for new partnerships to support our mission. Does your company want to support us in protecting the homeless with specially designed solutions while reducing waste and creating new jobs for people with a distance to the labour force? Send me a message and let’s talk.
Inge and her husband Björn were evicted after the unexpected death of their foster father and mentor. The couple, former sailors, are adventurous and strong. But after almost 3 years of illegal camping, with the fines to prove it, they long for a roof over their heads.
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In August, the first Shelterbags with sleeping mats donated by Auping were distributed in the Netherlands in the cities of Rotterdam, The Hague and Leiden. Working together with various relief organizations, we can be sure that the Shelterbags are distributed with care to people who are forced to spend the night outside.
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