Volunteering

Joining ACCESS

While the ACCESS main office is located in The Hague, our organization has helpdesks in Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Amstelveen. Often we have volunteering openings at these locations and we always take into account the most suitable location for you to volunteer based on the home address you provide in your CV.

The process of becoming an ACCESS volunteer starts with our Information Sessions. The ACCESS Information Session consists of two parts: an informative presentation on ACCESS, its organisational structure and our volunteers, followed by individual interviews where skills and expectations can be discussed. Here, candidates will learn about us, what we do, how we do it and why we do it. It is an opportunity for you to get to know us, and us in turn to get to know you. The Information Session lasts a whole morning, we strive to let everyone know, by the end of the same day, if they have been selected. The Information Session is done online (via Zoom).

After the Information Session, there are two training sessions.  The first one is done in person in our back-office in The Hague, where we introduce new volunteers to our systems, and processes, and have more time to answer questions. A second, hands-on training takes place at the ACCESS Helpdesk where you are allocated for (The Hague, Amsterdam, Utrecht or Amstelveen).

After two months at our Helpdesk, if there are opportunities within the organisation new volunteers are free to apply to them. All roles and positions within ACCESS are subject to availability and opportunity.

Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they are worthless but because they are priceless!        Sherry Anderson

ACCESS relies on its English-speaking international and Dutch volunteers who enjoy helping others adjust to life in the Netherlands. We have approximately 140 volunteers from more than 40 different nationalities, who contribute their time, talents, effort and skills in order to help others.