Meet the Team
The soul of the machine
At the moment (as well as a string of volunteer Chefs etc.) we have 3 dedicated voluntary Support Workers who are committed to keeping the Project up and running, now I’ll hand over to them so you can meet them in their own words.
Arne Soeten
My name is Arne Soeten founder of Project 4 All.
Project 4 All was started from the idea of being able to do something for the world in which we live in.
An ideal, but also a living amendment to what I’d destroyed in my past by using alcohol and drugs for years, living as a human being without any of the morals or values of what life actually has to offer us.
On 13th July 2014 (and after quite a long bender), I had a wakeup call. I got up and I looked at myself in the mirror, yet I no longer recognized myself, someone else was looking at me. At this point I knew I had to do something and took action to seek help from AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) Since that day I have not used drugs or drank alcohol.
But more than that changed……
After taking certain (recommended) steps, my thinking changed from being self-seeking and self-centered to being open minded and helpful.
I lost interest in money & power and Terror, Frustration, Bewilderment & Despair changed to Patience, Acceptance, Honesty, Humility & Faith – I finally found myself again!
For this I started our Project, an autonomous project, without Bosses, Hierarchy or Egos, a project in which everyone can contribute to the solution.
Teamwork makes the Dream work!
Pascal Mathieu Vermeulen (Matty)
Hey guys,
My name is Pascal Mathieu Vermeulen, or better known as Matty.
I’ve been helping Soeten out from the beginning in June 2020 and it has been an incredible experience.
This project means a lot to me, because I have been on and off the streets during my life as a result of alcohol and cocaine addiction.
I know how hard it is to get off the streets and how easy it is to get back on it. I also know how a lonely and dark place it can be, and feel that no one cares.
So, I’m grateful to have this chance, being clean and sober since September 2019, to try to help those in need and show them that there are people in the world that do care.
We have met people during this time who are out on the streets for various reasons, and our team is trying to help them in any way possible. We have been able to help a few to move forward already in this short amount of time, and hopefully we will help loads more.
I can only help the P4A team where I can, but one thing I surely can do is to bring my own experience, strength and hope to my friends in the street and show them it’s possible to get a better life.
And of course, this wouldn’t be possible without all you guys, and all the great people we’ve met on this amazing journey and for that we are grateful.
Together we can!
Jonny Elraiz
Orwite Guys,
I’m Jonny and hail from Sth London (have lived all over) but now lived in Spain longer than I have anywhere else.
I am blessed with 4 amazing boys and a beautiful partner, been a professional Musician all my life and worked with other homeless projects over the years in the UK & in Los Angeles. I’m the “New Kid in Town” as it were as I started volunteering with Project 4 All in January 2021.
I’ve unfortunately been through some bad times in my life and ended up on the streets a number of times. For years I was addicted to Heroin, Crack and a number of prescription drugs.
But through determination, the grace of God, a lot of help & patience from a few good mates and love, support from my family I kicked the addiction and have been clean since January 2001. I’d been sleeping in a wheely bin (big trash can) to escape the harsh British winter when I was tipped into the back of a refuse lorry, fortunately the guy operating the crusher saw me and hit the Emergency Stop button and saved my life.
This encounter got me some help and into social (Council) housing, but after a very bloody Christmas in 2000 in which 7 of my friends were murdered or OD’d I’d had enough, I felt useless, a failure and tried to take my own life by overdose. The next morning, I woke with the sun on my face, (honestly but briefly thinking I’d somehow made it to heaven), that was my moment of clarity, I realised it wasn’t my time, that life had more for me and God had other plans.
We’ve (my family) been doing our own thing with homeless people for many years in our house working alone until I was told about Project 4 All. I called Soeten immediately and within a few days I was out with Matty and not looked back since. The thing I love is the team work, the projects autonomy and the fact that it really is an all-inclusive organisation that relies on grass roots, community-based cooperation.
My Mottos in life are – “For each Barricade placed to stop us, there’s 100 ways to pass them!” & “Change the world, one small act of kindness at a time!”
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