Even more connection in 2026
Laura Dankelman is one of our volunteers who has been enthusiastically helping her fellow citizens for over a year. In addition to her volunteer work, Laura has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and can be found twice a week in the Urban Café, where she enjoys preparing the most delicious coffees for the guests. But what motivated her to sign up as a volunteer at Haagse Helpers?
“I wanted to do something useful and accessible.’’ During that period, Laura had stopped playing football and had just finished her bachelor’s degree, but she didn’t want to sit still. She Googled something and quickly came to us. What appealed to her is that it is not only focused on volunteer work, but also on being a community. You are not tied to anything else. ‘’The flexibility makes it easy to pick up a job.’’
In the past year, Laura has taken on several jobs. For example, she helped clean up a house every two weeks. “But often it’s not even about the job itself,” she explains. “People especially like to have a chat.”
Now that she is more than a year further, Laura notices that volunteer work has brought her more than she initially expected. “You don’t just give something to someone else, you also get a lot back in return. The gratitude of people gives me a lot of energy.” In addition to the energy it gives her, the volunteer work sometimes takes her out of her comfort zone. She comes into contact with people she probably wouldn’t otherwise meet, she adds. “That makes it challenging and educational.”
It is not only the flexibility and variety in the volunteer work that make Laura feel at home at Haagse Helpers. The community feeling also plays a major role. In addition to the volunteer work, activities are regularly organized for and by volunteers. “They have become kind of friends,” she says laughing.
