Marieke visited the volunteer work consultation hours: “I went home with a list full of great initiatives”

You are looking for volunteer work, but how do you find something that suits you?Marieke Buijs (37) sought advice from mediator Wendy Post of Volunteer Center Amsterdam (VCA). Thanks to that conversation, Marieke found her place atBuurtBuikAmsterdam North.At quarter to seven in the evening, it’s rush hour at Buurthuis van der Pek. In fifteen minutes, the BuurtBuik dinner will start, and the hall is almost full. Volunteer Genia is escorting the last guests to their table. Meanwhile, the kitchen crew is still hard at work. On the left, pans are being washed, on the right, coordinator Damaris is giving the final instructions for the soup. In a quiet corner of the kitchen, Marieke is sitting with two colleagues cutting fruit for dessert.

Connect with the neighborhood

Marieke has experienced all seasons at BuurtBuik. She has been working there as a volunteer kitchen assistant for over a year now. And she enjoys it very much. But the search for suitable volunteer work was quite bumpy. Marieke: “At the end of 2019, I moved from De Pijp to Noord. I wanted to connect with the neighborhood. So as soon as we were settled in a bit, I started looking for volunteer work.” But then the pandemic hit. Community centers closed, and many people who were temporarily unable to work themselves became volunteers. “I heard a lot of ‘no’. Or it just didn’t fit.”

Volunteering, work, and motherhood

A contact tipped her to get in touch with VCA for advice. “So I started talking to Wendy. She listened to me and asked some questions. About my interests, but also about my schedule.” Marieke had become a mother in the meantime. So she was looking for something that she could combine with her work as a journalist and with a toddler. “Wendy really empathized with my wishes and thought carefully about what would suit me.”

Connecting power

Cooking was high on Marieke’s wish list: “I just really love cooking. And I believe in the connecting power of cooking and eating together. Wendy knew all the places in the North where cooking is done. So after an hour of talking, I went home with a whole list of fun initiatives.” Marieke went to try out two places from Wendy’s list. One of them was BuurtBuik. She was impressed by what she saw: “A kitchen full of crates. With food that’s a bit on the edge. And with Damaris, who works in childcare and also helps out with all kinds of family, neighbors, and acquaintances. She comes to BuurtBuik after work, looks into the crates for a moment, and immediately comes up with creative ideas for what we can make with those ingredients. At the end of the evening, all those crates are empty. And dozens of people have had a tasty and healthy meal made from food that would have otherwise been thrown away.”

Diverse group of volunteers

Damaris taught Marieke many useful tricks. For example, how to process old bread. As a result, she also throws away less food at home. But BuurtBuik gives her a lot of energy: “I just find it very enjoyable with my fellow volunteers. For my job, I sit in an office typing with twenty people who are quite similar to me. Here at BuurtBuik, we are a very diverse group. Different ages and backgrounds, with or without a paid job. And what I also like after a whole day behind my computer: that I come here at five o’clock, or at ten past five. And then I can just peel and chop vegetables. Then all the stress is completely gone.”

Want to become a volunteer?

Do you want to do volunteer work in your area? Our mediators hold (free) consultations at various Community Centers and other locations in the city. Make an appointment viathis pageHello.This is a non-translatable text.Text: Winnie van Heesch

Photo: Huub Zeeman

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