Event Recap: Mix & Match October 2022

On November 18, 2023, Volunteer The Hague hosted a supersized Mix & Match Volunteer Job Fair, creating an invaluable platform for meaningful connections between volunteers and organisations in the city. With almost 400 visitors and over 30 participating organisations, the event was a great success, leaving a lasting impact on both attendees and organisers. The event, held at The Social Hub in The Hague, saw a diverse array of motivated individuals from all walks of life eager to contribute their time and skills to various causes. The fair showcased a spectrum of volunteer opportunities, allowing attendees to explore and connect with organisations aligned with their values and interests. This time, more than 30 stand holders representing a wide range of causes were taking part in the fair to engage with potential volunteers. Each booth served as a microcosm of the impactful work being done in the community and beyond, with representatives on hand to discuss opportunities and answer questions. The variety of organisations present ensured that there was something for everyone. To further enrich the experience, the fair featured three insightful workshops: “How to Get Unstuck and How Volunteering Can Help with That” by Vassia Sarantopoulou, "Integrating Volunteering Into Your Job-Hunting Strategy," by Sarah Feid and “LinkedIn: Top Tips For Volunteers and Job Seekers," by Renée Tentori. The success of the Volunteer Job Fair is not only measured by the number of participants but also by the overwhelmingly positive feedback from organisations and visitors. A post-event survey revealed a very high satisfaction rate, emphasising the quality of connections made, the organisation of the event, and the impact it had on attendees' perspectives toward volunteering. We express our gratitude to all participants, stand holders, and volunteers who contributed to the success of this event. Together, we are building a stronger and more connected international community in The Hague. The next Mix & Match event is going to take place in May 2024. Stay tuned for updates!

The May 2023 edition of the Mix & Match Volunteer Job Fair has come to a close, leaving attendees and The Hague non-profits with lasting memories and a sense of fulfillment. In this post-event article, we take a moment to reflect on the highlights and key takeaways from this remarkable event. Held on May 13 at The Social Hub, the Volunteer Job Fair was not merely a one-day event, but a beginning of a meaningful journey for many local NGOs and international volunteers. This edition of the Mix & Match event was a resounding success, drawing more than 300 attendees eager to explore volunteer opportunities in the city and engage with like-minded individuals. The sheer number of attendees highlighted the growing interest and commitment to volunteerism within the international community of The Hague. Moreover, the fair played host to an impressive lineup of nearly 30 organizations, each dedicated to diverse causes and eager to connect with individuals willing to contribute their time, skills, and compassion. MCed by our project manager Tetyana Benzeroual, the fair began with an opening ceremony where Gert-Jan Aleman, the director of PEP Den Haag (parent organization of Volunteer The Hague) welcomed attendees in his address while passing the floor to the Deputy Mayor of The Hague, Kavita Parbhudayal who highlighted the importance of volunteer work in the community. The Deputy Mayor commended Volunteer The Hague for its efforts in bringing together volunteers and non-profit organizations and urged the public to participate in volunteering activities. In her opening remarks, she reiterated the importance of internationals volunteering in our community. ‘Volunteering is the cement of our society. It connects people and builds bridges between internationals and non-internationals, which makes The Hague stronger’. Kavita Parbhudayal In the picture, from left to right, are: Gert-Jan Aleman, Kavita Parbhudayal, Tetyana Benzeroual The carefully curated event program featured a series of presentations delivered by esteemed professionals in their respective fields: Sarah Feid Account manager at The Hague International Centre talked about Job Hunting Strategies in The Hague Region, Abderrahim Kajouane Senior Advisor at PEP Den Haag shared the insides to The Hague as a Hub for NGO Professionals, Flora Bogman-Nieboer Senior Advisor at PEP Den Haag talked about Interviewing Skills for Volunteer Opportunities, Jobs, and More, and Tetyana Benzeroual Project Manager of Volunteer The Hague informed us How Volunteering Can Benefit Your Career. These presentations provided attendees with valuable insights, sence of belonging, and a deeper understanding of the benefits of volunteering. Throughout the day, attendees were not only inspired by these presentations but also engaged in conversations with representatives from participating organizations, further deepening their understanding of volunteer opportunities and building connections for future collaborations. All in all, the Mix & Match Volunteer Job Fair was a testament to the fact that voluntary work is not limited by age, occupation, or background. It was a beautiful tapestry of stories and journeys, where every thread wove together to create a brighter future. We extend our deepest gratitude to the organizations that shared their causes and opportunities, inspiring attendees to become active participants in mission-driven initiatives in The Hague. Through their commitment, the attendees left equipped with the connections and inspiration needed to make a long-lasting positive impact in their communities. Let us carry the spirit of volunteerism forward and keep building bridges between NGOs and volunteers in The Hague. Photos by Michel Heerkens For more photo impressions of the event please click here The Mix & Match Volunteer Job Fair through the eyes of attendees List of participating organizations 070online.nl - An organization offering local news and videos from The Hague region. ACCESS - A foundation that relies on its English-speaking international and Dutch volunteers who enjoy helping others adjust to life in the Netherlands. Community Plus - An organization focusing on closer social cohesion and a better quality of life in local neighborhoods in The Hague. Don Bosco Rijswijk - Multicultural youth center organizing activities for children and teenagers aimed at teaching play skills and allowing children to make friends. Expatriate Archive Centre - Historical organization that collects and preserves the life stories of expatriates worldwide for future research. Female Ventures - An organization that builds cross-generational community of ambitious female professionals. Haagse Watervrienden - The Hague Water Friends is a volunteer-run swimming association for young and old, which offers swimming lessons, competitive and master swimming, exercise for the elderly, and snorkeling activities in The Hague region. Justice & Peace Nederland - A human rights organization based in The Hague that provides temporary protection to human rights defenders and empowers citizens in the Netherlands to support refugees so that they may rebuild their lives. Leger des Heils - is is also known as the Dutch arm of The Salvation Army which helps vulnerable people in our society. Literaturhaus Deutsche Bibliothek - Aims to promote the cultural relationship between Germany and the Netherlands, in particular through German language and culture and the maintenance of a German-language library. Present Den Haag - A non-profit specialized in collaboration with all the professional welfare and mental healthcare organizations of The Hague and surrounding areas. RespijtHuis HouseMartin - A welcoming and warm temporary care home where homeless people in need can stay to recover from short-term illness. Romanian School the Hague - A foundation that provides informal courses in the Romanian language. Stadslink - An idealistic foundation that operates as a social enterprise, promoting people's economic and social independence. Stichting CENDDOW - The Centre for Diaspora Development Work is non-profit migrant organization that is focused on inclusive social cohesion for African migrants as part of our local society. Stichting CorrelAid Nederland - A non-profit network of data scientists who want to use their skills to advance the social good. Stichting Dessi Tuji - Non-profit organization for poverty alleviation and development cooperation in Ethiopia that provides children and adults with access to education and promoting the emancipation of Ethiopian women. Stichting TransitieCinema - An organization that runs documentary screenings on sustainability & transition, followed by Q&A sessions and workshops. Stichting Vitalis - Vitalis tries to prevent professional youth assistance for children between the ages of 5 and 18 who lack attention by linking these children to suitable buddies. TERRA Foundation - This organization promotes forest restoration and sustainable land management by providing financial and technical support to indigenous communities, helping to preserve biodiversity, wildlife, and ancestral knowledge. The Hague International Centre - A point of contact for internationals and international staff of organizations and companies in The Hague region. Together International - A non-profit dedicated to Development Aid and Humanitarian Aid projects. Under the Sun - A project that aims to empower vulnerable families in Western Sahrawi refugee camps by fundraising for house construction, as well as water tank and air conditioning installation. Viable Community - An international organization that enables people to preserve and restore nature while enjoying the experience. Wijkz - A welfare organization for the residents of The Hague, informing our community about activities, volunteer jobs, support in the neighborhood, and offering practical help where needed. Wool for Warmth - A non-profit dedicated to collecting wool and organizing knitting groups that knit clothing items for the homeless. Women's Initiatives Network - WIN is a non-profit dedicated to women, peace, and security for women in the Netherlands and Africa. YMCA Den Haag - The Hague chapter of the international youth organization that is committed to giving young people a place where they feel at home.

 Thursday, 19 May was a very special day for us at Volunteer The Hague: After two long years of pandemic restrictions, a sense of normalcy has finally returned to our lives, and in part to celebrate this, we were thrilled to finally be able to hold an in-person event again as part of our continued mission to serve our local expat and international community! The event was held at The Hague Humanity Hub's fantastic events space, which was a perfect venue for our attendees to mix and mingle with other local internationals, as well as with representatives from nearly 30 local NGOs and service organizations in attendance! These organizations serve a wide range of interests, including organizations devoted to the enforcement of human rights, refugee and migrant support, arts and culture promotion, animal care, multiculturalism, and elderly and child care. (A full list of the organizations in attendance may be found at the end of this article.) And with over 100 attendees joining us, the event was a huge success! Our attendees spent their time during the three-hour event checking out the various tables set up by the representatives of the organizations in attendance. The reps spoke about their organizations' missions, current activities, and the benefits they offer their volunteers, and our attendees were able to ask questions and exchange contact information. It was a thrill to see everyone's enthusiasm for getting involved and bettering the local community. It was also great to see so many fantastic connections being made between attendees as well, and we hope this was the beginning of new friendships and support systems for each other! We also had several speakers as part of our program. Gerko Viseé from The Hague International Centre gave an insightful and informative talk about the current state of the local job market, while VTH's very own project manager, Tetyana Benzoural, spoke about the benefits that volunteering can offer in terms of career goals and personal fulfillment. And to start off the event, we had PEP Director Fenna Noordermeer on hand to speak about PEP, VTH's mission within PEP, and how everyone has a valuable and unique role to play in volunteering activities in The Hague. Finally, VTH volunteers Gabriel and Reem were on hand to have a short conversation with Tetyana about their experience volunteering at various organizations in The Hague. The key takeaways from this: Volunteering is a great way to meet new friends and professional connections, beef up your current job skills, and gain brand new job skills for those looking to change careers. And according to them, volunteering has also been a great way for them to get to know The Hague itself - the types of organizations that operate in the city, community goals, and even local culture and language! We want to send our heartfelt thanks to Gerko for offering his insight and advice to support our community; to volunteers Gabriel and Reem for answering questions on stage; and to all of the attendees and organizations in attendance for making this a fun event where new friends and connections could be made. And a special thank you goes to the fantastic event volunteers who stepped up to help make this event a success! We very much look forward to offering more in-person events in the future! Organizations in Attendance: ACCESS - A foundation that relies on its English-speaking international and Dutch volunteers who enjoy helping others adjust to life in the Netherlands. AFS Nederland - an international, non-governmental, non-profit organization that provides cross-cultural learning opportunities to impart knowledge, skills and understanding for a better and more peaceful world. Arm Of Love International - A non-profit dedicated to Making Change Possible and Sustainable for all by educating, protecting, and supporting children and other disadvantaged groups in developing countries. Centre for African Justice, Peace and Human Rights - a foundation devoted to promoting justice, peace and human rights through education, awareness, campaign, training, outreach (Legal / Medical) and capacity building in Africa. CoderDojo Den Haag - a free, open and local programming club for young people. Het Koorenhuis - a creative and cultural hotspot located in the center of The Hague in a monumental building with a rich history dating back to the 17th century. Mammarosa The Hague - a non-profit that supports women who are being treated for breast cancer and gives information about early detection in the Netherlands. Middin - a foundation dedicated to helping people with brain damage while helping them with their daily needs. NL Cares - a volunteer pooling organization focussing on flexible volunteer work through social events, online volunteer agenda en corporate impact programs. Ocan - a 36 years old foundation committed to improving the position and advocacy of the Caribbean Dutch and related groups. Popradar Den Haag - the former Haags Pop Centrum, is an organization that provides a lively and diverse pop scene in The Hague. Positive News Foundation - a young foundation that connects uplifting news articles with people looking for positive news. Present Den Haag - a non-profit specialized in collaboration with all the professional welfare and mental healthcare organizations of The Hague and surroundings. Reach & Teach - a foundation that aims to assist the integration of newcomers (status holders, asylum seekers, and migrants) in The Hague region by offering Dutch and English classes, buddy systems, and social events. Saúde da Floresta - a foundation dedicated to helping the indigenous Amazone people of Brasil. The Hague International Centre a point of contact for international staff of organizations and companies in The Hague region. The Hungry Mind - a volunteer-run community centre for internationally-minded people. Together International - a foundation with the mission to design and implement solidarity projects addressing the socio-economic situation that emerged from the Covid-19 international humanitarian crisis. Vereniging Humanitas Home-Start - a project that offers support, practical help and friendship to parents by trained volunteers with parenting experience. Vier het Leven - a foundation that helps to realize life-changing events for the elderly. Vitalis - a foundation that matches a young person in need to an adult volunteer, to form a caring interaction that will promote the positive development of the young person. VTV Thuismaatjes - an organization that supports people with disabilities to participate in daily life activities, such as walks, sports, going to the movies and having positive social contact with others. Wijkz - a welfare organization for the residents of the Hague, to inform them about activities, voluntary jobs, support in the neighborhood and give practical help where needed. Wool for Warmth - a non-profit dedicated to collecting wool and organizing knitting groups that knit for the homeless. WWF - active in more than 100 countries and on 6 continents, this foundation does everything it can to protect and restore nature.