Zena has been a volunteer at Home-Start for ten years. She supports families in raising their children. Not by telling them what to do, but by giving them a feeling of friendship.
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Ron (64) works as a volunteer bus driver at Nursing Home De Die, where he takes residents on outings to Artis, the beach, and museums.
Cecilia Aguirre talks a lot. Despite her Spanish accent, she is easy to understand. We are in a small office at the Community Center de Buurtzaak.
“I know deep down that I am a valuable woman. But doing volunteer work also makes me feel that way again. This way I can contribute to society, keep my social contacts up to date, and feel useful again. Yes, that brings me joy.”
Yvonne is a volunteer in the control room of the Animal Ambulance. “It is also great fun to be able to make people happy when their pet is found again.”
Anne Coos is a volunteer at ARTIS. She started as a visitor guide in the garden, then at Micropia, and now she is training for the ARTIS Planetarium: she could not have imagined it beforehand.
Eiga (47) has been visiting Mrs. Corrie (87) weekly for friendly home visits for the past two years. A warm bond has developed.
“To learn more than you learn at school. To speak the language better. Practice.” Majd (23) looks determined in his answer to why he was looking for volunteer work. “In Syria, I was studying to become a gym teacher. But then the war came. Now I have been here for a year and a half. I don’t want to sit at home, not take money for doing nothing.”

