Volunteer Daniella works in the garden of De Horizon: “Working outside is fulfilling”

Thirteen years ago, Daniella Winters (46) moved from Breukelen to Amsterdam “for love.” When she was deemed unfit to work, she began searching for a new way to spend her time. Through Facebook, she saw a call from De Horizon, which was looking for new volunteers. “That’s for me,” she thought. She has been working there for three years now.

Daniella was diagnosed with MS a few years ago, a chronic disease that causes inflammation in the nervous system, leading to less effective processing of signals from the brain. As a result, she has been deemed unfit to work. “In the call on Facebook, De Horizon indicated they were looking for someone to help with the renovation of the garden, as the budget for that had been rejected by West Begroot. I have completed a training course for working in a garden center, so I thought this would be perfect for me. I am now in my third season here!”

Satisfied and fulfilled

She is very pleased with the volunteer work: “There is nothing better than feeling tired and satisfied after a day of working outdoors. It relaxes you and ultimately gives you more energy. We now have a fixed team of four people, but it took quite a while for people to really get involved. Especially spring and summer are wonderful seasons for this work. In winter, there is of course a bit less to do. Additionally, the social aspect is also very nice.”

Worm hotel

The work of Daniella and her colleagues is very diverse: “We mainly focus on removing ‘unwanted greenery’. In addition, we grow herbs for the restaurant, and we have a worm hotel where composting takes place.

De Horizon is actually always looking for extra help. For those interested: every Wednesday everyone is warmly welcome for a cup of coffee and a chat. “You absolutely don’t need to have any experience to join in. As I like to say, ‘trying is learning’, and the more hands we have, the more we can do!”

Want to do volunteer work?

Are you looking for volunteer work in West? There are various opportunities for an appointment with a mediator in (the vicinity of) the district. Make an appointment via www.vca.nu/bemiddelingsafspraak of bel: 020 530 1220.