Boring, stuffy, and dull? Not at all!

“She teaches me to live without expectations”

Volunteering always seemed a bit dusty, boring, and dull to Eva (29). But in the past few months, she has done 1001 different tasks, and now she thinks: Why didn’t I make time for this earlier? Why did I always postpone it? “These days, I even do volunteer work on vacation!”“As a child, I often traveled with my parents. We always went to luxurious destinations, such as New York and Miami. I never visited countries where the living conditions were less favorable than in the Netherlands. That changed two years ago when I traveled through Mexico. I witnessed so much poverty and misery there. It truly opened my eyes and inspired me to take action: what can I do to make the world a little bit better?”

Prejudices

“Okay, I admit, I always had quite a few prejudices about volunteering. I wanted to do it, but it also seemed dusty to me. And boring. Helping out in a thrift store, that seemed like the ultimate volunteer activity to me. But now I know: there is so much more! And it makes me so happy!”

Food is the foundation

“Over the past few months, I have already done many different things. Such as exercising with seniors, decorating Christmas trees in a nursing home, participating in homeless shelters, cooking for neighbors, helping students with their homework, and leading activities for children in the asylum seekers’ center. I also wearthe Food BankI have a warm heart for [organization]. Food is the foundation; a basic necessity. Therefore, I contribute to their good work by helping with packing the food packages. Products are donated to us by supermarkets and food boxes like Hello Fresh. We aim for the best possible mix of products. Then we distribute the packages to people who are in great need. So many happy and grateful reactions, we are truly helping them move forward.”(interview continues below the photo)

Dogs help on vacation

“Why didn’t I make time for this earlier? Why did I always postpone it? Such a waste, looking back! It truly enriches my life. These days, I even engage in ‘Voluntourism’: volunteering during your vacation. Recently, I spent a day walking dogs for a dog shelter in Guatemala. It’s nice to get to know the country in a different way like this.”

Life without expectations

“I am from a generation where we have high expectations of life. We are young, life is malleable, the possibilities endless. That’s good, but sometimes it’s also good to let things come as they may. To live without expectations. This I learn from ‘Aunt Nel’, a beautiful person, with whom I regularly play games in the nursing home. No idea why she’s there, because she’s still super sharp. Every time I walk in, she immediately knows who I am. She is so positive. Her husband passed away, she never had children, but she takes life as it comes. She embraces what she enjoys, never complains. Always happy with what is. She truly shows me what it means to live without expectations, and for that, I am very grateful to her.”

What makes you happy?

“I want to make the world a little more beautiful, even if it’s just something small. Every little bit helps. Many people don’t know it, but there are”so many possibilities. Anything you enjoy, there is a volunteer job for it. Do you like sewing and knitting? Join a [organization name].Creative clubDo you enjoy cooking?There are so many optionsto get involved. Do you have an active lifestyle? Become a sports buddy or gowalking with the elderlyAre you good with phones and computers?Help people on their waythose who don’t know how to send a message or how to use Excel. How fun is it to help someone with something you really enjoy?!Even if it’s just onceAnd now I know from my own experience: it’s really so much more fun than you think from the sidelines.”Photos: Huub Zeeman

Eva Blog

Eva givesvia her blog and Instagramgives people a glimpse into her volunteer life. She also writes about fashion brands that are doing good in the world. Such as ZARA and Rituals supporting foundations abroad and Levi’s, which allows their staff to do volunteer work.