“I consider myself lucky to have a house”

Myrthe and her father Stephan watched the series The Homeless Experience in 2017 and they were both immediately inspired to also get involved in helping the homeless. Myrthe enthusiastically recounts: “We sent an email together to the Stoelenproject and before we knew it, we were scheduled to volunteer!” Father and daughter still laugh at that memory. “It was all very impressive for us in the beginning, of course.” Now, eight years later, they still enjoy doing this volunteer work. They passionately share their story and paint a picture of what a shift looks like.

Applause for the cooking team

The Stoelenproject is a very low-threshold evening and night shelter. Simple, but safe, warm, and free. Every evening and night, 50 homeless people stay in our shelter on Marnixstraat. Thanks to the dedication of 90 volunteers, this is kept running. Myrthe and Stephan each do two shifts per month: one evening shift and one night shift. In the afternoon, there is a cooking team active, often a group of volunteers from a company wanting to do something social. Today, it’s the staff of Waternet who are cheerfully stirring in the bins in the professional kitchen. “They provide about 175 euros for groceries themselves and there are a few recipes on how to make a good meal for many people with little money. When they leave, they often receive a big round of applause from the visitors,” Stephan nods.

No drugs, no alcohol, and no violence

At 6:00 pm, 50 visitors with a voucher are allowed in. Then the evening shift volunteers start serving the meal. Myrthe: “After the meal, we will do the dishes. It sounds intense, but luckily we have really good dishwashers here that are done in no time.” At 9:00 pm, the coordinator (f) gives a stern speech: “No drugs, no alcohol, no violence.” Stephan: “But nobody wants trouble. Everyone is very happy with a good night’s sleep. So if someone causes a disturbance, the other visitors quickly calm them down.”

The most fun and important thing about this volunteer work

Until 10:00 pm, there is time to chat with the visitors or play a game. “That’s the most fun and important part of our work. Not everything is as you think it is. It can happen to anyone, even to you and me. There are visitors who are just separated or people who have jobs but no roof over their heads. Some people open their laptops here for a game of chess. You also encounter many nationalities here.” Visitors can come “to the bar” for soap, toothpaste, and razors. Stephan: “These items are often donated as well.”

Then everyone can grab a plastic mattress from the large stack and a calm descends in the room.” The night shift runs from 11:00 pm to 8:00 am. Stephan admits: “The nights are often a bit boring. There is tea or water. Sometimes it’s so quiet that one of the two volunteers can even take a nap. It’s useful if you have to go back to work the next day.” Myrthe and Stephan both work at the same bank in their daily lives but they never see each other there. So they really enjoy doing this together.

What does this bring to Myrthe and Stephan?

At 07:00 the lights come on. Then breakfast is served: coffee, tea, two sandwiches with cheese and two with chicken (which always disappear quickly) and often donated fruit. “Businesses like Albert Heijn, bakeries, but also De Waterkant donate whatever is left over.” At 8:00 everyone must leave the space again. “I found that difficult at first,” says Myrthe, “to leave the people out in the cold again. But when it’s extra cold, the municipality fortunately opens extra shelter spaces.” When asked what this volunteer work brings, Stephan and Myrthe agree: “You really feel like you’re doing something good. Sometimes the visitors also express their appreciation. And you start to appreciate ‘obvious’ things more. I truly consider myself lucky to have a home.”

Want to become a volunteer?

Are you also inspired by the Chairs Project? Then look aton their websitefor the possibilities of donations and (corporate) volunteering.

Want to do something else? Inour online job boardAt [brand name], you’ll find 1001 possibilities.Or come by one of our consultation hours without any obligation.Interview: Thecla Groot Koerkamp
Photography: Marcel Jansen