Handler Jan
"It was spoon-fed, I got infected with it and I've never stopped." Jan has been doing voluntary work all his life, for him it is a big part of his life. He really hopes that other people will also have the opportunity to volunteer because it is so important.
If we describe all the volunteer work Jan has done, you will still be reading next week. From the parish to the school board, from the choir for the elderly to the platform for people with disabilities. "I find it very difficult to be somewhere without meaning something there. It is in me to be active. So when I was asked again for the next board position, I couldn't resist.
I couldn't say no to that
For example, I was asked if I wanted to help set up a petting zoo. I was born on a farm, those roots will always be in me. So I couldn't say no to that. Through Eerselvoorelkaar, among others, we have gathered a team of 50 volunteers who are committed to this project. The Neighborhood Farm was ready in a year and a half. That gives me goosebumps. I prefer to go there every day, I see that this farm means something to others, and that means a lot to me. It is not for nothing that it is called the 'Neighbourhood' farm: people meet, neighbourhood, and there is conviviality. The volunteers are and will stay there because they have the feeling that they can make a difference there, isn't that great?
The great thing is that I now see that my children, and even grandchildren, are already committed to the neighbourhood. That makes me a proud father and grandfather! Back in school I was taught a saying that has always stuck with me: 'A person is an individual, but also a social being'. You can only shape yourself by giving and receiving, by doing things together. The feeling you get from volunteering in is indescribable!"
Naomi likes to get involved
Naomi likes to get involved The fact that it only takes very little time to make someone else happy motivates Naomi time and again to volunteer. She has been helping scout in her area for years. Recently she did a great job as a volunteer at VIPvoorelkaar. "As a result of my work, I get five days off a year to do volunteer work. This year I used these days to make a newspaper for VIPvoorelkaar. I interviewed volunteers and wrote texts about this. We will publish this newspaper at the end of January throughout Gilze en Rijen, to inspire others to do volunteer work. That's how I got some very nice stories. We visited someone who reads to an 8-year-old boy from Syria. As a result, he has already learned so much from the Dutch language and the volunteer spoke very enthusiastically about it. I loved seeing how meaningful this is for both of them. So meaningful to both We also went to the Repair Café, where we spoke to people who really enjoy tinkering with broken devices. It is a real shame that so much stuff is thrown away, stuff that could actually still be made. The people in the Repair Café pick this up and mean a lot! It was very interesting for me to see all the different sides of volunteering." Naomi has also been volunteering with scouting for years. "I used to always go to camps as a group supervisor. It was so nice to experience the joy and enthusiasm of the children. We always went with a very nice group of supervisors. I did it with great pleasure. Even with little time you can mean a lot to someone else Now I have a daughter and a busy job and I don't have time for that anymore. Yet I am still committed, I now manage the social media of the scouting. I have noticed that it does not take much time at all to help someone else. With very little time you can mean a lot to someone else! There is an English expression that fits very well with my feeling about volunteering: "the gift of giving". I experience this every time. You do something for someone else, but you get so much in return. I would recommend this to anyone!" Share these stories and inspire others to help too! Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Whatsapp Forward
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