Everyone is welcome at ‘Bea’s gathering’

About eight years ago, Bea unsuspectingly walked past the community center Czaar 51, when her friend called out if she felt like coming in for a cup of coffee. She didn’t even know it was there and what they did there, even though she had been living in the neighborhood for almost thirty years. The manager asked if she wanted to volunteer, and after a brief discussion with her husband Dew, they have been running the social gathering together on Friday evenings ever since.You can easily walk past the community center; it looks just like a regular house on Czaar Peterstraat. But if you look closer, you’ll see the weekly program for various activities and target groups written on the chalkboard at the entrance. Every part of the week has something going on, of course only as long as the corona measures allow. Many activities are aimed at Moroccan women, who come to cook, study the Quran, or just have a chat. There are also specific activities for men, and everyone is welcome at Bea’s gathering on Friday evening.

Hostess for the conviviality, but also a confidante

Bea: “My husband and I run Friday evenings together, where we receive an average of about 25 visitors. We are the hostess and host, ensuring that people feel at ease, showing them around the house, and offering a listening ear to anyone who needs it. It’s often the small things you do for others that can mean a lot in their lives. Sometimes it involves communication with official authorities, sometimes providing comfort in loneliness or assistance with domestic violence. For this, I also took a course as a ‘confidant’ through the drop-in center. But more often, it’s about providing companionship and an alternative social network for people who really need it. It is gratifying and enjoyable work.”(text continues below the photo)

Change

“I have been living in the Czaar Peterbuurt for about thirty years. In the past, when my children were still in school, I was a lunchtime supervisor or reading mother. I have seen the neighborhood change. Social housing has largely been replaced by new, expensive apartments that the original residents cannot afford. Even my own children have moved out of the city. I go there every week to take care of my newborn grandchildren, but the high parking costs here make visiting their parents in the capital quite expensive. This applies to more elderly people, increasing loneliness and dependence on places like the community center. My children are happy and proud that their mother continues to actively contribute to the neighborhood. This way, I stay active, involved, and meaningful to the residents of the neighborhood.”

Neighborly love

Bea herself has also made nice acquaintances and even friendships through her volunteer work at the community center. When she walks around the neighborhood or at the Dappermarkt, she often has to stop for a chat with someone who knows her from there. This makes life in her neighborhood extra valuable. Laughing: “You get a lot of neighborly love in return, and you make people happy. That’s why I enjoy living in the Czaar Peterbuurt even more. And even though you may have a much bigger house with a garden for less money in Almere, I wouldn’t leave here for anything in the world!”Interview: Sonja Remkes
Photos: Kitty de Jong

Want to become a volunteer?

Do you think it would be fun to start doing volunteer work as well?

1. Make an appointmentfor a mediation interview at one of the consultation hours in the city.
2. Find a suitable job yourselfon the volunteer job board (around 1000 opportunities)