Good conversations and fun
Activities are organized every day in the district center of Molenvliet, which is managed by the Sinar Maluku foundation. Think of a play café, bingo, the nightlife club, tasty lunches, the Bible club, a card evening and the creative mornings. Everyone is welcome here to join in and get to know people that way. Even if you don't live in Molenvliet. Debbie has been a volunteer at the community center for two years now.
“I was asked to give a creative workshop. Despite the fact that I have lived in Molenvliet for a long time, I had never taken a step over the threshold here. But immediately I felt at home. You are accepted here as you are. You are seen here and there is attention for everyone. After that workshop I went to help with the creative mornings and lunch. And soon I, along with my husband Richard, took over the management of the building. We open and close the building every day. We make coffee, clean and give people attention. I once worked at Hema, but when I was rejected I ended up at home. Here I can work at my own pace and sit down if I can't anymore. I am so happy to be among the people in this way again.”
I'm so happy to be among people this way again!
“We are here with about ten volunteers. They are more than colleagues. We look out for each other and also on our regular visitors. If we don't see someone for a while, we stop by to see if everything is okay. And when there is snow, we pick up people who have difficulty walking from home. It is very rewarding work!”
The Sinar Maluku Foundation has a board that consists of three people. With them, Debbie discusses the activities she wants to plan. The program will be announced via Facebook, the website and the bulletin board in the supermarket. Feel free to take a look around the corner at one of the activities or join us for a cup of coffee. You are guaranteed to find a good conversation and some fun!
Would you also like to participate in an activity? Or do you want to become a volunteer? You're more than welcome. See www.sinarmaluku.nl or mail for info to info@sinarmaluku.nl
Gerrit's story
A heart for the City Museum The City Museum is located in the old town hall. The permanent collection of the City Museum Woerden focuses on the art and cultural history of Woerden and the Green Heart. In addition, there are regular temporary exhibitions, such as the KoEsterd exhibition, about cows in art, and of course the pop-up exhibition in the context of the Koeiemart. Gerrit, together with fellow volunteer Piet, took care of the layout of these temporary exhibitions. “A buddy of mine at the table tennis club hinted that volunteering at the City Museum might be something for me. Art didn't interest me in the past, but I became more and more interested in it. I signed up and started as a 'host'. That is the person who sits at the counter and receives people. As a host you learn a lot about the history of the building, the permanent collection and you are constantly updated about the new exhibitions. This way you can answer the questions of the visitors properly. In addition to hosts, there are also volunteers who provide guided tours and people in the depot help classify the works or take care of the art in the public space. In total, more than forty volunteers are active at the City Museum. In addition, there are three paid employees; the manager/director, the curator and the floor manager.” After such a big job has been completed I feel quite proud! “Because I'm pretty handy, I went to help with the technical jobs. So over time I got involved in the task of realizing the temporary exhibitions. The galleries must first be emptied, the walls repainted, the new works hung up, the spotlights set, and so on. Of course, the curator is the one who decides how the rooms will be divided, but if Piet and I see it differently, we can discuss it with each other.” “I once started here as a host for three half-days a month. In September I have been here almost every day. The new exhibition in the City Museum and the temporary exhibition in the context of the Koeiemart in the pop-up location in Rijnstraat had to be completed. But I do that with great pleasure. And after such a big job has been completed, I secretly feel a bit proud!” The city museum is always looking for new volunteers. You can register per month which parts of the day you would like to work; a very flexible system. For vacancies and more information, visit: https://www.stadsmuseumwoerden.nl/over-het-stadsmuseum/vacatures Share these stories and inspire others to help too! Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Whatsapp Forward
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