Volunteering: join ACCESS, the organisation run by internationals for internationals

The festive season is a time for reflection, resolutions, and feeling generous and merry. This year, the season may be different from usual, since the typical get-togethers are not possible, but the feelings of togetherness are always there - so why not use them to embrace the wider community in these difficult times?

Lend your skills and experiences as a volunteer with ACCESS

Are you an international living in the Netherlands? Volunteering for ACCESS would be a fulfilling way of using your existing skills and adding to your experience during your stay in the Netherlands.

You could be one of 140 volunteers of more than 40 different nationalities, who contribute their time, talents, effort, and skills. Together, the ACCESS team are all here with the same goal: to help other internationals in many ways by using experiences as an international in the Netherlands.

Surprising rewards

Volunteering may not bring a financial reward, but it is, nevertheless, a rewarding experience because it gives you something enjoyable to do that helps others. And, let's not overlook the added bonus: helping others makes you feel good. Volunteering also helps you to meet people, make friends, and take a step towards calling the Netherlands home. In other words, it's great for networking!

Volunteering can also work as a step forward in your career path, for a few reasons: One reason is that it helps you build confidence in yourself. The second reason is that it truly helps you find a job, as any time spent volunteering should be considered as training and marketing yourself!

Volunteers at ACCESS help internationals to solve some of the challenges of moving abroad - whether they are administrative and organisational tasks, knowledge of a different work environment, or awareness of cultural differences - in order to ease their transition.

They offer peer-to-peer support to the international community by providing personal insights as well as tips and advice from people who are and have been in the same situation. This helps create an amazing sense of community and belonging!

Phases of support

ACCESS has volunteers working via email at the helpdesk at the headquarter office in The Hague, replying to several enquiries a week. ACCESS is also present to meet new international arrivals and answer their queries in various locations across the Netherlands: The Hague, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Leiden. They also have a Counselling Service Network, professional ACCESS Trainers Network and they run very popular Childbirth Preparation Courses in Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam.

The ACCESS database has over 5.000 entries containing information on companies and service providers to the international community gathered from all their volunteers over 30 years. And, last but not least, there are over 300 FAQs on the ACCESS website and their regular magazine providing answers, information, and advice for living a successful life in the Netherlands.

In essence, ACCESS volunteers are a committed and dedicated team, sharing many different professional skills. Through their voluntary work, they learn and develop new skills while utilising and sharing existing ones. At the same time, they expand their network not only through ACCESS, but also in association with all the international activities and events that ACCESS participates in. 

Get in touch

So, if you have some free time, would like to meet people, enjoy working in a professional, team-oriented environment and would like to help others who are in need, you may wish to consider joining the ACCESS volunteers’ team.

Find out more on what ACCESS does, and how and why they do it. Information sessions are an opportunity for you to get to know the organisation, and for the organisation to get to know you. The next session is on February 2, 2021. Your knowledge and experience can help internationals call this country their home! 

Details about registering, and what ACCESS expects from you can be found on the ACCESS website.