Dutch asylum seeker centres tend to greatly restrict the opportunities for asylum seekers to develop their talents. One project, which seeks to overcome the isolation suffered by such refugees, is the Local Exchange System Circle Woudrichem (LCW). This exchange circle has brought asylum seekers in Woudrichem into contact with the local community. This article illustrates how the LCW has developed over the course of time and how local people and asylum seekers have come to meet each other through the exchange of goods and services. Furthermore, it examines the nature of the interethnic reciprocal trust relations and the motivations of the various kinds of participants. The gap between asylum seekers and local people was bridged by stimulating contact between them in a structured fashion. The exchange circle under discussion appears to be a ‘modern’ form of organization, which can generate bridging social capital in present-day western society.