What the MO040 dinner brought Mr. Rick

What did the MO040 dinner bring me?

In 2018, I (Mr. Rick) participated in the Corporate Social Responsibility 040 dinner and DLL, through Ab Gillhaus , took me on board. My request for help was for support in the organization around Mr. Rick's after-school activities. I was working as a janitor at the time, but my heart was in conceiving, organizing and implementing the activities.

More and more schools became interested, and eventually in 2019 - 2020 it became possible to redirect my job as a janitor to the after-school activities and everything related to it.
In May 2020, Mister Rick was incorporated into a separate foundation. The foundation, with a board including 2 (former) DLL employees manages the finances, thinks, corrects and guides where necessary. We have acquired ANBI status and have also become a Learning Company.

In January 2022, I was able to terminate employment within education and continue working and broadening as an independent entrepreneur within the Stichting Meneer Rick. In addition to the Foundation, a VOF Meneer Rick was established, in order to be able to do something for the neighborhoods outside the target group (reaching children, through school, in less privileged neighborhoods) but within Eindhoven.

Without the support from DLL, that is, through the MO040 dinner, we probably would not have achieved, what we have achieved now. A small summary of what kind of growth we have experienced since 2018 to 2022:

• from 2 to 6 schools, reaching from 600 to 1,000 children;
• from 5 to over 20 interns, most from the Summacollege Social Work;
• since May 2022, 7 permanent and paid employees from the VOF, also working within the Mister Rick Foundation;
• expansion of partners such as, ASML, NXP, local convenience stores like Plus and AH, Thomas Foundation of VillaNova, Caritas St.Catharina;
• Stichting Leergeld supports parents financially where needed;
• SupportPunt Eindhoven, who set up the website and registrations for participation;
• Collaboration with Emoves, CKE, the Muziekgebouw;
• 6 weeks of a 3-day offering in the summer vacations of activities during the Children's Holiday Weeks. This year 639 applications x 3 days; of which 25% were children from disadvantaged neighborhoods, 25% expat children, 25% children modal and 25% Ukrainian children.

There are a lot of plans for the future and I am confident, that we can make it happen. MO040 . . . . . super thanks!

Text: Rick de Wit