Sanne is the hostess at community center De Driehoek

Who are you?“I am Sanne Waagen, 43 years old. As a true Amsterdammer, I moved from the busy city center to the peaceful green North when my first child arrived. I have been living in this neighborhood for about 10 years now, in a house with a garden – where else can you find that in Amsterdam?”What do you do in your daily life?“I work one day a week as a community nurse. In September, I will start the training for practice support at the doctor’s office. In addition, I do two days of volunteer work per week; one day at a food distribution point of the Food Bank in Amsterdam Zuidoost and one day at the community center De Driehoek.”What do you do as a volunteer in Amsterdam Noord?“At neighborhood center De Driehoek, I am a host/manager every Friday. Because this is my fixed day, I have gotten to know the visitors of this cozy neighborhood center well; a group from Philadelphia always comes here to do crafts and cook soup. In the morning, there is also an activity from the church: De Gulden Middenweg, they are there for people on a limited budget. They enjoy the delicious soup cooked by the clients of Philadelphia.”What is your best/most beautiful experience with volunteering work?“One of the visitors likes to make a game out of secretly going behind the bar and ‘stealing’ a pen. With a big grin. He then has a great time when he succeeds, having outsmarted me once again.”What is your tip for finding volunteer work?“Take a look around your own neighborhood. When I first moved here, I had little contact with the neighborhood. Through my volunteer work at community center De Driehoek, I have built a stronger connection with my neighbors. We share tips and knock on each other’s doors when we have questions.”Photo: Rob Beense

Would you like to do volunteer work as well?Make an appointment with us onlineor call 020-5301220.Here you can find all volunteer vacanciesSorry, but I need the text you’d like me to translate.