“Search for where your heart lies; beforehand you don’t always know what that is…”

Who are you?“I am Audrey Ninaber, 48 years old, born in Amsterdam Zuid but moved to Amsterdam-Noord when I was nine, to the Van der Pekbuurt. I still live here, together with my mother.”What do you do in your daily life?“I have received training in healthcare; my dream was to work with children or the elderly, but in practice, unfortunately, I couldn’t find paid work. That’s why I started working in administration at the GAK, and when that ended, I started working as a volunteer at the reception of the community center Het Zwanenmeer. For the past year, I have been volunteering at the Korthagenhuis; still in healthcare and with the elderly.”“I also have many hobbies, such as show ballet, caring for succulents, collecting seashells, and making jewelry. In addition, I am a caregiver for my mother.”What do you do as a volunteer?“I started at Korthagenhuis as a hostess in the living room for residents with dementia, and later I also started assisting with activities like bingo. A few months ago, I switched to Orchidee Hofje, where I engage in creative activities with visitors, such as crocheting, knitting, and coloring mandalas.”The most fun thing I have experienced here is…“When I used to work as a hostess on Wednesdays, there was a special lady in the group that I immediately connected with. She was always happy to see me and told me beautiful stories about her former work as a hostess on the sightseeing boat. The lady has since moved, and I visited her once; she was still happy to see me.”What is your tip for people who want to start doing volunteer work?“Search for what suits you and where your heart lies; beforehand you don’t always know what that is…”Would you like to do volunteer work in the North as well?Make an appointment with the Volunteer Center Amsterdam Branch North, 020-6365228.Photo: Rob Beense