Irma (62) is a reader
From buddy to handyman and from driver to reader: there are approximately 250 volunteers active for Cordaad Welzijn in Veldhoven. In the 'Stories' series you discover exactly what they do and what this work means to them. Irma (62) is a reader at the Voorleesexpress and likes to talk about this.
'As a former swimming teacher I already knew that I liked working with children. I had already seen the calls for new readers a number of times and decided to sign up as a volunteer.
As a reader you temporarily become part of a family, after all you come to read 20 times. On my first visit I bring a large bag of books. Children will see quickly enough which book appeals to them and it will not happen to me that they misunderstand. Often it is the first time to feel something. The child is usually shy and hides a bit. Luckily I can come up with enough to break the ice. Does the child play with cars? Then I sit down on the floor and make sure I have a book of cars with me next time.
I tailor the activities to the needs of the child. Some children listen quietly while I read, other children prefer to tinker about the story. I myself am of the creative streak and I can go wild on that. Coloring pages, hand puppets, tinkering with letters, I love it. I also like to connect to the current theme of the daycare or school, so that the child always hears the same words. I am amazed at how quickly the child picks up the input.
I think it is important to focus clearly on the completion of a process. A child gets used to my arrival, an hour of one-on-one attention is of course pleasant, and that is why I clearly count down the visits. It is the intention that after my departure the parents will pick up the thread. During the visits I therefore often give tips to the parent present, for example, I point out the existence of cupboards for stray books. It is a fun activity to look for the cupboards with their child(ren) and to borrow a book from there.
I am a volunteer reading aloud, but thanks to Cordaad Welzijn I have also found an Arabic language buddy. I had wanted to get to know this language for some time and recently a volunteer volunteered to do so. The system of mutual help appeals to me. You kind of look after each other in this society and you don't always have to be paid for that.'
Jolanda (58) is buddy
Jolanda (58) is buddy From buddy to handyman and from driver to reader: there are approximately 250 volunteers active for Cordaad Welzijn in Veldhoven. In the 'Stories' series you discover exactly what they do and what this work means to them. Jolanda (58)'s diary is filled with her volunteer work. She is a buddy for four people who need help and experiences all kinds of things with them. 'I'm so glad I took the step to sign up as a volunteer. A few years ago, unfortunately, it was no longer possible to participate in the regular workplace due to physical complaints and my world was getting smaller and smaller. I had already seen the calls for new volunteers in the newspaper for some time and was always hesitant to take the step. Then I thought I can listen and drink coffee and with the encouragement of my husband I finally signed up. When I received the contact details of my first requester (88) from Cordaad Welzijn, I was nervous to call. That turned out to be unjustified, because we chatted for a while and the first visit also went very smoothly. I can say that this requester has become a kind of second mother. Our contact runs so smoothly and we see each other weekly, so I immediately do the shopping for her. This lady even promotes Cordaad Wellbeing to acquaintances of hers who are also elderly, she then emphatically indicates that a buddy can make such a difference and she grants everyone 'a Jolanda'. With my second requester (89) it is never a question of what we are going to do (billiards), at most the location. Because I recently moved, I live a lot closer to this client and we can choose whether we want to roll the billiard balls in my house. By the way, I have to laugh when I think back to our first acquaintance. I was a little nervous because it was an older gentleman and I wasn't sure we had enough to talk about. Out of nervousness I have completely talked about the time and I only realized that when I said goodbye. Fortunately this gentleman opened the front door and said goodbye with the words 'Hope you come again next week?' I also meet weekly with my third client (93). We drink coffee together and chat about anything and everything. The contact with my fourth requester (88) is there when she needs spontaneous help, such as an appointment with the GP and she needs transport. And that also works well for me, we look at each contact moment how I can best help her. Central to all my clients is social contact, seeing each other and keeping company. I am now a buddy of four people seeking help and I think that's enough. I like to give a little extra attention if one of them needs it and I want to continue to do so. And let's be honest, if someone says during the farewell 'when you come it's always a party', doesn't that make you very happy too?' Share these stories and inspire others to help too! Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Whatsapp Forward
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