Busy at Renske
Hey, I'm Renske, 32 years old and full-time working in the IT sector. Officially I come from the East of the country, but I moved six months ago.
Because I wanted to get to know the special things about my new hometown, I started googling. That's how I ended up at NLvoorelkaar. I have volunteered many times in the past. For example, I was the founder of a foundation. Unfortunately I couldn't give this more the attention it deserved. It took a lot of time and that in addition to a 40-hour work week. Still I wanted to contribute something. For me it is important that it really adds something. Not only for others, but also for myself. Because then you will enjoy it and you won't stop after a few weeks.
I wanted to get to know autism in a different way
And there it was, a vacancy from the Autisten Soos; 'Coordinating supervisor Soosavonden'. My 'sugar child' Sterre (now 7 years old) has autism. She is the daughter of my best friend, but to her I am "aunt Renske". I got to know autism through her, but that was also the only measure for me. I wanted to get to know it in a different way and my attention was immediately drawn. So I quickly wrote a message to the author of the vacancy; Paul!
I received a response fairly quickly and although combining it with my job might be a challenge, I was immediately invited to come and watch for an evening. I came by during a Bingo evening and immediately found a click. The visitors of the Soos responded well to me and I really enjoyed doing it! At the moment I have already been able to organize 3 evenings together with the other volunteers and attend a meeting of steering group members where, among other things, the planning is discussed. Are we going to organize a music evening? Will it be an evening about the history of the city? Or let's have a speaker come and talk about 'autism and friendships'?
During the evenings we ensure that the location is reserved, the bar is manned, that attributes are available and that the groceries are ready. I also chat with the visitors and it doesn't matter whether you are a visitor or a supervisor, together we will make it a super fun evening!
Volunteer Charmaine
Volunteer Charmaine Hi, I am Charmaine 31 years old and of Chinese descent. When I was 22 I moved to the Netherlands for my studies. After my studies I found a job as an accountant in Rotterdam. She had worked there for several years. Last year I decided to take a break. I wanted to take the time to think quietly and orientate myself on what I really wanted to do. During this period, I didn't want to sit still and started looking for volunteer work. As a volunteer at Zorgzaam010 I wanted to get to know nice people and I also wanted to learn more about Dutch culture. Another plus is that I can work on my Dutch language proficiency. At home I speak Cantonese with my husband and Dutch is not widely spoken. I have also done volunteer work in China At Buurtwerk, the organization where I recently started volunteering, I only speak Dutch. People I help there indirectly help me back. In addition, I meet weekly with a language buddy who teaches me Dutch and she is also a volunteer. The clients come from the neighborhood and everyone can use this agency. I often see elderly people passing by. They have a range of diverse issues, but computer-related questions are the most common. In addition to the elderly, I also see young people who have experienced unpleasant events and who are in debt. With my financial knowledge I try to advise them as well as possible. I also advise new migrants on how best to look for work. Volunteering is not new to me, I also volunteered in China. There I helped children with their homework. I find volunteering very useful and fun. The atmosphere is very pleasant and everyone is nice to each other. That makes me feel satisfied. Share these stories and inspire others to help too! Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Whatsapp Forward
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