Always had a passion for Haarlem and its hidden gems? Volunteering at the VVV is the chance to show visitors and residents around our beautiful city. We spoke with Mariet van der Starre who enthusiastically talks about her experiences as a VVV volunteer. Read on and find out why this might be for you!Â
What makes this work so valuable to you?
"People come here at the VVV and want to have a nice time in Haarlem and you're the one who can help them do that. You meet a lot of people and also speak to them in all kinds of languages. I speak Dutch, English and German myself, so it's nice to maintain that through this work. Not only the contact with people makes it so valuable for me, but also the environment in which we work. You look out on the Grote Markt, work in a beautiful historic building and often see a wedding couple passing by because City Hall is a popular wedding location. Every time I work here, I learn something new about Haarlem myself that I can pass on. It's nice to represent your city every time." Â
What are your colleagues like at the VVV?
"When you come to work here, it's very nice that everyone takes the time to get to know you and that you are trained well. They make sure that you master all the activities within the VVV so that you can do everything independently. My colleagues are very diverse, from young to old, which makes it a nice team. We offer city tours and they inspired me to become a city guide myself. As a result, I have been training to be a city guide for 1.5 years and recently graduated! I think it would be a lot of fun to work a few hours a week here at the tourist office and work Friday and Saturday as a city guide. I have lived in Florida for 25 years and then, for example, I enjoy interacting with other Americans and seeing their surprise when I speak good English and know a lot about America. At the end of such a day, I go home with a smile."Â
What does a typical workday look like for a VVV volunteer?
"You are a hostess, so you provide people with information, such as finding a hotel, museums, tours or certain walks. You also make sure all the brochures, items and souvenirs are there neatly, replenish them and checkout. No visitors for a while? Then you take care of our inbox and process requests for city tours, for example. In certain seasons, such as spring with the Keukenhof and the Flower Parade, it gets a little busy here. It gives a good feeling to show everyone around then and contribute to a successful visit to Haarlem."Â Â
Why would anyone volunteer at the VVV in Haarlem?
"You learn a lot about the city every day. You yourself stay up to date on what's going on in and around Haarlem and are involved with your city differently than as a resident. That's what makes it so fun and interesting. People who walk into the VVV are often already in a good mood because they come to Haarlem for fun. Even if it's a short interaction, you feel useful."Â
What is the first step in coming to work here?
"I saw the job posting on the Haarlemmarketing.nl site and sent an email with my motivation. Signing up is actually very easy. The volunteer shifts average 4 hours a day and you can decide how many hours a week you want to work. If you go on vacation or are not available for a while, you can simply indicate this. The volunteer team consists of eight nice colleagues. We always help each other here."
