“This enriches my life!”

Who are you?“I am Dori Hoogerdijk, 62 years old, born and raised in Amsterdam; my birthplace was on a corner of the Waterlooplein. Since 1976, I have been living in the North, currently in Tuindorp Nieuwendam, a house with a lovely garden. I enjoy having all the greenery at my fingertips.”What do you do in your daily life?“I have been a volunteer at De Zonnebloem for over twelve years. And for the past few years, I have also been volunteering at Het Schouw, where I accompany residents to swim at the Only Friends pool on a weekly basis.”What do you do as a volunteer?“I started at De Zonnebloem as a holiday volunteer, since I originally come from a care background, and I am also a visiting volunteer. For six years now, I have been on the board: I organize activities for residents in the North, arrange supervision for concerts and bus trips. I also regularly join as a supervisor during holidays and outings, pampering the people!”The most fun experience I’ve had here is…“During a holiday week with De Zonnebloem to Bernkastel on the Moselle, we were all dressed in orange on Queen’s Day. Just to be sure, I had packed some extra orange caps and hats in my suitcase. The spontaneous reaction of the residents was so nice: they started singing along spontaneously and helped us with the steep climb of the wheelchair users up to the village.”What is your tip for people who want to start doing volunteer work?“Volunteering is not without commitment; choose something you enjoy doing for others, as reciprocity is important and adds value. Volunteering enriches your life.”Photo: Rob Beense

Would you like to do volunteer work as well?Make a personal appointment with us orCheck out our job vacancies [here].