75 years of the Union of Volunteers Amsterdam

On May 7, 2020, the Union of Volunteers Amsterdam (UVV) will celebrate its 75th anniversary. We have been working with them for 30 years, a reliable partner for volunteers.Right now, with the Coronavirus affecting us all, attention to lonely elderly people is so important. That is exactly what UVV-Amsterdam has been doing for 75 years!

From Air Raid Precautions to Union of Volunteers

It was a group of Amsterdam feminists who founded the “Korps Vrouwelijke Vrijwilligers” (KVV) in 1938. Due to the economic crisis and the looming Second World War, women’s labor force participation was under pressure. Volunteering was a way to still serve society. When the government later decided to establish a civil air defense service, the KVV approached the director themselves to offer help. This way, the new service could be assured of the commitment of at least two thousand KVV women in the short term. Not long after, KVV branches were established throughout the country.

From 1945, the nationally operating volunteer organization continued its activities as the “Unie van Vrouwelijke Vrijwilligers” (Union of Female Volunteers). To accommodate the growing number of male volunteers, the union was renamed in 1977 as the “Unie van Vrijwilligers” (UVV).

With people for people

When you enter the Amsterdam UVV office in the AOC building on the WG site today, you immediately see an old banner and a certificate. These are the tangible signs of the long history of the UVV. Over a hundred volunteers are now continuing the tradition and enthusiastically and with great dedication assist their fellow citizens.

Project Coordinator for Voluntary Assistance, Astrid Koning, puts it this way: “We do everything with people for people.” The consultants Gunda Fuchs, Wies Haverkamp, Peter van den Dungen, and Gerda Blaauboer connect volunteers and clients. And weekly, as many as 120 volunteers are active for one or more clients. They accompany clients to healthcare providers, help with groceries, or pay a visit – for a conversation, a listening ear, or a small household task. In the coming years, UVV volunteers will continue to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to vulnerable elderly people living independently!

Would you also like to volunteer for Union of Volunteers?

Check out the volunteer opportunities here!

NB. The above photo of the couple was taken in the pre-coronavirus era.