Hello everyone,

My name is Anna Glendenning, I’m an international student here in The Hague and I’ve been with
Haagse Helpers for over a year and a half by now. I’m originally from the UK but I spent the most
recent 12 years before I moved here, in southern Germany.
When I moved here, I knew one person. Through that lady I met Alex and his family. He asked me if I
was interested in volunteering and so a month and a half since I moved to the Netherlands, there I
was signing up to volunteer.
I particularly love the idea of a partner system. With my grandma aged 91 living on her own in
England, I hear how much she appreciates the gardener and the cleaning lady coming by. Yes, they
do their jobs but moreover, she just wants a chat. Since I know she loves the visits, I enjoy doing that
for someone without a network here in the Netherlands.
I’ve since participated in fun events such as cooking pancakes for the elderly in a care home – heaps
of fun and a test to my Dutch skills. Starting that November, I went to see an elderly lady (half
German & half Scottish – perfect!) living in The Hague on a weekly basis. I would go and do her food
shopping and biweekly, I would cook her a meal. She has since moved house and so the Haagse
Helpers team found me another elderly lady to chat to. I started in January, and I go on a biweekly
basis to take out the rubbish, do an odd job and chat for an hour or two.

I greatly appreciate what the Haagse Helpers stand for and the work they do in and around The
Hague. I would highly encourage signing up with them, whether for random job or weekly visits. It’s
flexible and puts a smile on your face as well as someone else’s.