Activities surrounding National Volunteer Day

December 7th is National Volunteer Day

Amsterdam has around 250,000 volunteers. Their contribution is of great importance to many Amsterdammers and to the city as a whole. That is why we want to thank as many volunteers as possible for their efforts around December 7, National Volunteers’ Day. We also call on residents and social organizations to thank volunteers in their immediate surroundings. These are the options available to us this year:

1. Send a card for free

Are you happy with a volunteer or do you know someone who does beautiful volunteer work? Show your appreciation and surprise them with a free card. You can request up to 50 cards from us, which we will send to you by mail. Or you can send unlimited cards via email.

2. Online events for volunteers

We have organized two fun online events during the week of December 7. Anyone who is interested can sign up for free.Tuesday, December 7th: Online meditation by De Nieuwe YogaschoolLooking for a moment of peace, with a clear mind, balanced emotions, and plenty of inspiration? A short meditation in an understandable and humorous way. Not airy-fairy and accessible to everyone! Afterwards, there is still room for questions.Friday, December 10: Talk by The School of Life: Enjoying Life.When was the last time you truly felt satisfied? That moment was probably short-lived. And thankfully so! Dissatisfaction and unfulfilled desires prompt us to take action and improve our lives, and those of others. But sometimes it’s also nice to be able to enjoy what you have. In this talk, you will discover how to get better at this! The School of Life extensively draws from art, literature, and your own experience to gradually learn to enjoy what you already have. This talk is intended to rediscover wonder in life.

3. Free tickets DeLaMar Theater (discontinued due to evening curfew)

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, DeLaMar gave theater tickets as gifts to volunteers in Amsterdam and the surrounding area. Thanks to this initiative, a performance of their choice could be reserved free of charge. It has now been decided to discontinue this initiative. During the COVID-19 press conference on Friday, November 26, it was announced that Dutch theaters must close their doors every day from 5 pm starting November 28 until December 18. Unfortunately, this means that evening performances cannot take place during this period.

Some volunteers had booked tickets for evening performances during this period through the anniversary initiative. We are very sorry, but the planned theater visits as part of this initiative cannot proceed for these individuals. Since it is uncertain whether matinee performances can continue and when the current measures will end, the theater is unable to reschedule the booked tickets to an alternative time. If you have booked tickets for canceled performances or for matinees whose status is still uncertain, the theater has informed you by email shortly after the press conference.

If there are opportunities later on to proceed with the theater visits, DeLaMar will contact you immediately. If you have booked tickets for a performance that falls outside the closure period for now, your seats will be retained, and you can still enjoy the chosen performance.

Here’s to a successful December 7 and as many radiant volunteers as possible!

Warm regards,
Volunteer Central Amsterdam