When I was a child, neighborhood interactions were actively taking place.
If the house was locked, I would wait at the neighbor's house or receive vegetables as a share, and I thought that was normal.
Nowadays, the relationships between residents have become thin, and it is not uncommon to not know who lives in the neighboring house.
Because of this, there may be people who have no one to consult with and are secretly struggling with their problems.
I want to value connections with the community and regain interactions between people. There is someone who has rented a house in Mizushima and is continuing to support people in need.
Mizushima Children's Cafeteria Misora♪ and Everyone's Home Haruhouse (hereafter, Haruhouse) representative Inoue Masaki is the person.
I will introduce why Inoue-san decided to rent a house for the local people, what kind of stories are unfolding at "Haruhouse".
What is "Everyone's Home Haruhouse"?
In December 2020, Inoue Masaki, the representative of "Mizushima Children's Cafeteria Misora♪", opened the facility with the aim of creating a place where 5 to 10 people can gather every day.
A place where local children and adults can gather, a place for local organizations and individuals to interact and learn from each other.
It has become a place where various projects can be realized, such as dinner parties for single-parent families and meetings among supporters.
Inoue-san's past efforts
Inoue Masaki, who is the representative of both Mizushima Children's Cafeteria Misora♪ and Haruhouse, has been engaged in the following activities since 2017 to support families in need, in cooperation with local volunteers.
- Mizushima Children's Cafeteria Misora♪
- Food Share Meeting
- Food Share Car
- Everyone's Home Haruhouse
Mizushima Children's Cafeteria Misora♪
Mizushima Children's Cafeteria Misora♪ was established in Mizushima in August 2017.
At that time, it was not reservation-based, and it was held once a month, with a maximum of 69 people, including volunteers, participating at one time.
Over two and a half years, 1,500 meals were prepared, and people ate together, engaging in casual conversations, establishing a warm place where everyone could feel safe.
Food Share Meeting
In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread and events where everyone could eat together became impossible, a Food Share Meeting was held to provide food received from individuals and companies to families in need.
Individuals registered with the official LINE of Mizushima Children's Cafeteria Misora♪ were called upon to come and pick up what they needed once a month.
This initiative continued for about three years until May 2023.
Food Share Car
As a state of emergency was declared and gatherings of people were not allowed, the number of families in need continued to increase.
Thinking about how to address this situation, Inoue-san started support with a "Food Share Car" that delivers supplies loaded in his private car.
Everyone's Home Haruhouse
In November 2020, while Inoue-san was supporting families in need with the "Food Share Car", he began to think that a place where anyone can drop by at any time was necessary, and opened the current "Everyone's Home Haruhouse" in January 2021.
In addition to providing consultations for problems, it has become a base for activities that connect people, such as conducting projects in collaboration with other organizations and realizing events conceived by high school students.
Here are some of the events that have been held at "Haruhouse".
- Imoni Party
- Youth Day
- Summer Homework & Dinner Meeting
- Usagi Cafeteria (hosted by Parent Support Step)
- Okans' Talk & Learning Place
- Shien-sha Cafeteria Yozora☆
- Christmas Party
Inoue-san's background
Representative Inoue-san was born and raised in Mizushima, Kurashiki City.
Inoue-san recalls that when he was a child, the night sky of the Mizushima Industrial Complex was dyed bright red, which was frightening.
He felt that the atmosphere of Mizushima and the history of pollution seemed to create poverty and a disparity society in this town, which he honestly disliked.
With such feelings, I asked Inoue-san why he wanted to establish Mizushima Children's Cafeteria Misora♪ and "Haruhouse".
Data on Everyone's Home Haruhouse
| Organization Name | Everyone's Home Haruhouse |
|---|---|
| Type | Voluntary Organization |
| Representative Name | Inoue Masaki |
| Year Established | December 2020 |
| Address | 5-17 Kitakasuga-cho, Mizushima, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 080-3898-8106 |
| Website | Facebook Everyone's Home "Haruhouse" |
