Family caregivers — known in Dutch as mantelzorgers — hold our society together. A daughter caring for a mother with dementia, a neighbour doing the shopping for the man down the street, a teenager cooking for a sick parent — often they do this for years, without a title, without a roster, without a day off. We want their work to be seen and valued.
What we do
- Drop-in sessions where carers can have coffee, talk, or simply sit and do nothing for a while
- Practical respite care: a volunteer takes over so someone can step outside for a few hours
- Help in arranging things — applications, assessments, contact with institutions
- Gatherings where carers recognise themselves in each other, hear each other's stories, and find a way forward together
Who we work with
For adult carers, young carers (children and teenagers caring for a family member), informal helpers without a formal role, and for people who do not even realise they are a carer — until someone tells them so.
Our approach
We actively seek carers out rather than waiting for them to come to us. Many do not consider themselves "in need enough". We cooperate with GP practices, home-care organisations and schools to identify young carers early. Our help has a low threshold: one message, one phone call, is enough to set something in motion.
Examples
For illustration:
- A ten-year-old caring for his mother every day, who through school was connected with a volunteer who reads along with his homework
- A woman who, for the first time in four years, spent an entire afternoon at the beach because a volunteer stayed with her husband
- A talking group where carers of people with dementia meet monthly — not to solve problems, but to be heard
Get involved
A few hours a month can give a carer room to breathe. Become a volunteer or support this work so we can reach carers across Rotterdam.
“People become visible again the moment someone sees them — and keeps looking.”
