“The laughter and sparkle in her eyes bring a lot of satisfaction”

“At the lustrum celebration of the Amsterdamsche Kring, we received various information about volunteer work in the city,” says Jan Petit. “There was talk about doing something concrete for others, at times that suit you. That got me excited! Making a difference is important to me. I actually didn’t know there was such a need for volunteers, but after that day, I was sure: I’m going to sign up.”

Since the beginning of this year, Jan Petit has been a volunteer at the Vreugdehof nursing home in Amsterdam Zuid. Here, he takes walks with a lady. “When I arrive, she is usually already ready in her wheelchair to go outside. The staff here doesn’t have time for that, so I do it with her! The nice thing is that it’s just the two of us.”Discovering new places“She always talks very enthusiastically about her children – who happen to be exactly my age – and shares stories from the past. She also has a lot of knowledge about the neighborhood. It’s great because we often walk in Amstelpark, which I didn’t even know about until recently. So, I get to see new parts of the city too!”

“She is hard of hearing, but her memory is excellent. She always remembers exactly what I have told her in previous meetings, for example about my children, and asks about them again. This way, we truly build a bond. Each time we spend about 1.5 hours together. I work as an organizational advisor for Profonte, so flexibility is very important to me. Sometimes we can’t meet for a week, and that’s okay too.”Laughing out loud in her eyes“The staff always tells me that Mrs. comes back after a walk with me like a different person. With so much more energy! I find that very nice to hear. While for me it’s such a small effort. And so easy to make her so happy. I am now trying to encourage people in my environment to try this as well. The joy and sparkle in her eyes give a lot of satisfaction. Thanks to her, I have learned: it’s the little things that matter!”Are you also interested in volunteering?Enour job boardYou can find 1001 vacancies. Or schedule a personal appointment with one of our mediators, via 020-5301220.