How Volunteering Enriches Migration in The Hague

Ambassador Programme Be a voice for change: become an ambassador of The Hague International Centre Are you an international living, working or studying in The Hague region? Would you like to be an ambassador for the local international community and help improve local services?​ Join our ambassador programme!​ Ambassadors of The Hague International Centre will: Be consulted on our ideas for services for international people Get involved in making sure that every international in the region is well supported Help to inspire and activate the international community Get plenty of opportunities to network with policy makers, other internationals, and much more! What we ask of you: The position is on a voluntary basis: A minimum commitment of 1 year, with a​ maximum term of 3 years Availability to meet 6 times a year as part of a focus group (the first meet-up will take place on 10 February) Becoming part of our advisory team and being available (if you’d like) at our events, and being interviewed for our website What’s in it for me? Being able to affect real change for (new) internationals in our region Contributing to making services for international people better Having a platform and representation in the region A stimulating environment where people are free to give their ideas Invitations to our events, a look behind the scenes of the International Centre, plenty of networking opportunities, and much more! Get involved Apply before 16 January by filling out the form below. We’d like to know: Who you are Why you’d like to get involved How you came to live in The Hague Any initial ideas or topics that you’d like to raise with us Based on the applications and selection made, we will get back to you in the week of 24 January.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and transformed almost every industry, field, and activity imaginable in our society, including essential volunteering and charitable activities. At Volunteer The Hague, we’ve seen firsthand the pandemic’s adverse impact on both nonprofit organizations and our community’s devoted volunteers. This is especially problematic, because in addition to everything else the pandemic has disrupted, it has also exacerbated social and economic inequalities, and this often affects the most vulnerable in our society. We all have some familiarity with the effects on the education sector, such as teacher shortages, reduced study time for students, and funding issues. Similarly, other fields have also suffered shortages in staff and in funding, including elderly care, social work (in particular, work with the homeless), animal care, human rights, and charitable giving, among others. But as the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, and it has been impressive to see how quickly many of these fields have adapted to these changing circumstances by going digital in order to continue their important work. And it has been just as inspiring to see how many volunteers have plugged into this new digital landscape in order to help these organizations continue to fulfill their missions! So what is digital volunteering? Simply put, it is any volunteering activity that one can do from the comfort of their own home using an internet connection and their phones or laptops. What is less clear is the impact: How is it that one can effectively help others when being face-to-face isn’t possible? In truth, before last year it was also hard for us to imagine. But over the last 18 months, we’ve seen a flood of digital volunteer opportunities posted on our website by dozens of organizations in The Hague region and we’re here to tell you definitively: You can still make a difference! What are some examples? One of our favorites was an opportunity from earlier this year from a local elderly care home that was seeking a volunteer conversation buddy for some of their elderly residents. But to maintain safety and social distancing, these conversations happened on Zoom! This was a great way to help these elderly residents not feel so alone during the pandemic while at the same time helping them get involved with the digital revolution we’re all experiencing. And there have been many other types of digital opportunities: volunteer project manager opportunities for nonprofits and NGOs, online teaching opportunities, translation and interpretation tasks, graphic design and communications, and even online fitness lessons for kids and adults! Just as it has become possible for many of us to work from home when we never would have imagined that possibility two short years ago, it is absolutely feasible – and even easy – to continue engaging in volunteer activities digitally for both safety and convenience. It’s also worth noting that digital volunteering can still provide all the benefits of in-person volunteering, such as being able to gain job skills when you are between jobs, beefing up your resume, expanding your social circles, and networking. Finally, digital volunteering can also allow those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to volunteer (due to time or transportation constraints, for example) to get involved! Whether you regularly engage in volunteer activities or are just curious about getting involved in this new digital volunteering revolution, we encourage you to take a look at the Volunteer The Hague website so you can explore what may be out there for you. We have hundreds of volunteer opportunities in English listed from organizations all over The Hague region who are eager to work with internationals – in person and digitally. We hope you’ll check them out so you can get involved in your local communities, even from the comfort of your own homes!

For those of us in the volunteer promotion community, this week is very special: Monday, 5 December is International Volunteer Day and Wednesday 7 December is National Volunteer Day in the Netherlands! These are days of recognition for all of the important work done by thousands of volunteers here and worldwide - and in every imaginable field. Volunteering isn't just an activity that makes a difference in the community and in the lives of others - this act of kindness can also help the one volunteering, whether it be by gaining new skills, a sense of purpose, or simply the satisfaction of having helped others. According to Time Bank, 84% of HR and recruiting professionals agree that volunteering is a great way to help people find work, with an astounding 80% of employers saying that they regard volunteering positively on a potential employee's CV. Whether it's helping to combat depression, learning to engage with new communities, or improving health and fitness, volunteering can also benefit one's physical and mental health and wellbeing. We at Volunteer The Hague understand the important benefits of volunteering - especially for internationals just moving to a new country. No matter the stage in your moving process, volunteering can be a great asset to help you get settled. This is why Volunteer the Hague connects internationals with meaningful volunteer opportunities at local non-profit organizations, free of charge. The Hague is a place where all nationalities come together, forming a multicultural society. Our mission has always been to bridge the gap between internationals who may not know where to start on their volunteering journey in a new country, and nonprofits who are searching for internationals to help aid in their inspiring missions. Together, we can empower people to change the world from the grassroots up, especially when enabled by partnerships between local internationals and local nonprofit organizations. To all of the fantastic volunteers in our community, we want to send a big THANK YOU and hope you continue your volunteer journeys in 2023!