Hushu House is a collaborative initiative between the municipality of Amsterdam, NGOs, and grassroots organizations, with the Red Cross taking a coordinating role. Within the Red Cross, Hushu House is part of the Integrated Aid project.
Do you want to contribute to a warm and safe space for people without a valid residence permit? Hushu House is looking for enthusiastic welcome volunteers to strengthen our team. Your commitment is at least one 4-hour shift every two weeks, Monday to Friday.
About Hushu House In December 2024, Hushu House opened its doors in Amsterdam Zuidoost. This information and support center provides assistance to people without a valid residence permit. Hushu House is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00.
Hushu House is a collaborative initiative between the municipality of Amsterdam, NGOs, and grassroots organizations, with the Red Cross taking a coordinating role. Within the Red Cross, Hushu House is part of the Integrated Aid project.
What will you do?
When you arrive for your shift, you’ll have a quick catch-up with the day coordinator to go over the latest updates. After that, it’s all about making visitors feel at home, greeting them, helping them find their way around, and keeping the space friendly and comfortable. Some of your responsibilities include:
· Greet guests and manage visitor registration (paper and digital).
· Offer coffee, tea, snacks, and grilled cheese sandwiches.
· Help with laundry, clothing selection, and basic support needs.
· Play games, chat, and lend a listening ear.
· Refer visitors to helpdesk volunteers or partner organizations.
· Keep the space clean and cozy.
· Share your observations in a short day-report with your team.
· Create a warm, friendly, and welcoming atmosphere.
What do you bring?
You don’t need prior experience. As long as you’re eager to learn and open to developing yourself in the role, you’re very welcome! What we find important:
· You’re culturally sensitive and pro-active.
· You’re willing to help everyone regardless of their religious beliefs, political beliefs, or origin.
· You can remain calm and feel comfortable in de-escalating tense situations.
· You enjoy working with people from different cultural backgrounds.
· You have a good command of English, both spoken and written. If you also speak another language, such as: Arabic, Farsi, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Twi, or Tigrinya, that’s a great plus!
· You’re available for at least one shift (4 hours) every two weeks for a minimum of one year.
· You complete 4 mandatory e-learning modules (1 hour per module) and attend 4 mandatory in-person training sessions (4 hours each), with a total time investment of approximately 20 hours.
· All volunteers are required to provide a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG). The Red Cross will cover the cost of this certificate.
What do we offer you?
As a volunteer, you’ll contribute to the Red Cross’s humanitarian work and make a real difference in the lives of people in vulnerable situations. In addition, we offer you the following:
· You’ll become part of a dedicated and diverse volunteer team within the Red Cross Integrated Aid project.
· Four e-learning modules, four training sessions, and monthly themed information meetings to further develop your knowledge and skills.
· We’re always looking for ways to help you grow and make the most of your talents.
· Connection doesn’t only happen during work, we also organize get-togethers and dinners to catch up and meet each other in an informal setting.
· If you live in the Amsterdam-Amstelland region, we can reimburse your travel and other expenses.
· You are covered by insurance via the Red Cross while carrying out your volunteer duties.
At Hushu House, we work based on seven fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.
Does this role appeal to you? We would love to hear from you! Pleas