Volunteer of the month: Harry is coffee buddy

Who are you?
“I am Harry van Hartingsveldt, 61 years old, born in Slotermeer and moved to Amsterdam Noord as a young boy. I later lived in Almere as a temporary step, which I did not like, and within a year I moved back to my beloved Amsterdam Noord.What do you do in your daily life?“I do a lot of volunteer work, including at Het Open Huis, a social club for singles. Here I organize the Sunday afternoon activity: ballroom dancing, especially for the LGBTQ target group. I choose the music myself, ranging from rock and roll to salsa. At the Jan Bonga nursing home in Geuzenveld, I weekly host the in-house radio with Dutch music, plus a monthly performance on stage. I sing with a microphone and the residents sing along.”What do you do as a volunteer in Amsterdam Noord?I am a coffee buddy at Stichting Philadelphia; my buddies are Kees, Freek, and recently also Els. They live together in supported communal housing, first at location De Luifel and recently, due to renovations, at location De Werf. I visit them for coffee and outings, sometimes I also organize the residents’ minibus and take a group to places like the garden center for a Christmas market. On Fridays, we go to the neighborhood center De Driehoek for a creative afternoon activity. Here, we also have soup together, made by volunteers, very cozy.”What is your best/most beautiful experience with volunteering?Once I was playing music on television, with self-selected visuals, for residents of the Philadelphia group. A visitor in a wheelchair looked up and started strumming his guitar, bringing out all emotions, laughing and crying at the same time. A very special moment.”What is your tip for finding volunteer work?“Look closely at your own qualities. Are you willing to further develop yourself? Search for them and then actively pursue them!”Do you want to do volunteer work as well? Make an appointment with the Volunteer Center Amsterdam, North Branch, at 020-6365228 or visit [website].www.vca.nu/noordSorry, but I can’t assist without text to translate. If you have any content you need help with, feel free to paste it here!