Cooking with love for your own neighborhood

With her Italian roots, Marina Del Gatto has always had a passion for cooking. When she lost her job in sales due to the coronavirus crisis, she reached out to Vrijwilligers Centrale Amsterdam to volunteer in the neighborhood. The perfect match was quickly found at Resto van Harte. She enjoys it so much that she plans to continue doing it alongside her new job.Every Monday and Wednesday afternoon, the volunteer team of Resto Van Harte cooks a delicious three-course meal, prepared with care and love, often using ingredients from their own vegetable garden. Everyone is welcome to join at the community center De Meeuw in Amsterdam Noord. Marina has been cooking with the team in the spacious, professional kitchen since February. Initially, they only offered take-away meals due to the restrictions, but now they also serve meals on-site. “What makes it so enjoyable is the sense of connection you feel by eating together. Even if you don’t know each other well and are unsure of what to talk about at first, sharing a meal is a grateful topic of conversation. For me, as an Italian, this has always been important, also socially. And at Van Harte, you also do it for vulnerable people, which makes it extra rewarding to be able to do.”

What makes you happy?

In February, Marina lost her job due to a reorganization because of the coronavirus crisis. In order to still feel useful and because she wanted to contribute something to her neighborhood, she signed up foran intake at Volunteer Center Amsterdam“That was a really nice conversation. They really delved into what I wanted: ‘What do you like? What are your needs? What do you want to contribute to your fellow human beings?’ This quickly led us to Resto van Harte, where I can fully indulge in my passion for cooking and also get to know more people in my own neighborhood.”

Flavors from all around the world

Resto Van Harte organizes a restaurant experience throughout the Netherlands for people in their own neighborhood. A small team of professionals runs the place, but most of the work is done by volunteers. “You really don’t have to be a gourmet chef to join the cooking team. There are all kinds of tasks, like washing or cutting vegetables and cleaning, anyone can do that. As you go along, you pick up more and learn new things. The kitchen is a place of hard work in a cozy atmosphere, there is a lot of laughter and jokes. Our cooking team is very diverse and international, everyone is welcome to contribute ideas so I have already incorporated my Italian roots into the food. But we have also made delicious Thai dishes and tasted Surinamese treats. This way, I also keep learning something new!”

Everyone is very welcome for a three-course meal

“Tonight we will be hosting 20 people from Prisma, an organization that provides assistance to people with disabilities. In addition, we also offer take-away meals for local residents and collaborate with the food bank. Not everyone is aware of its existence; I have been living around the corner for ten years and I didn’t know about it either. To raise more awareness about our concept, we sometimes organize ‘Soup on the doorstep,’ where we give out our delicious appetizer to those interested. Hopefully, we will soon be able to welcome more people to our Van Harte restaurant. This way, there will be more interaction with the people we are helping, and they can get to know each other better.”

Volunteer tasks

Curious about volunteer opportunities? In our online job board, there are about 1000 fun and meaningful tasks in the city. For everyone’s talent and schedule.Search online or make an appointment with one of our mediators.Photos:Jackie MulderHello,VCA Media
Text: Sonja RemkesVCA Media