PGGM colleague Linda den Hamer on lending a helping hand to residents and care workers

Linda den Hamer, project support officer at Innovation, has been involved in Bundel for years, supporting residents and care workers in all sorts of ways. From baking pancakes to a day at the zoo: ‘It’s fun to do, great for team building and it really makes a difference.’ 

A natural way of giving back
Linda first became involved in Bundel through a colleague who did a short internship in her department. ‘I knew Bundel existed, but it felt a bit remote. Then I experienced some of the activities at first hand and realised we should be doing this more often. We work in the health and welfare sector, so this feels like a natural way of giving something back.’ 

From pancakes to zoo trips
The activities are hands-on and diverse. Linda names a few: sorting items in a charity shop, a day at the zoo with people with disabilities, tidying gardens, baking pancakes in a care home, cooking with people living with dementia and helping children with a visual impairment to practise using escalators. ‘You support residents and ease the pressure on care workers. It’s rewarding work, and something you can really enjoy doing together as a team.’ 

Making a big difference with small things
Linda sees at first-hand how limited resources can be in the care sector. ‘If there are no volunteers to bake pancakes, it simply doesn’t happen. Sometimes this even means cutting into the lunch budget to buy the ingredients. Even something as simple as decorations for a party aren’t always available. With very little, you can already make a big difference.’ 

Stepping in where it’s needed
For Linda, the impact is clear: ‘You do something worthwhile, you get to know your colleagues in a different way and you see first-hand how demanding care work can be. I was a carer for my mother for nine months. That made me realise how important it is when someone steps in to help, even just for a while.’