1/4 Every day Marij volunteers in care center Leenderhof (photo: Imke van de Laar)
There are a lot of hands short in care. And so Marij Beijer from Leende jumps in wherever she can. She has been retired for a while, but she still comes every day to help in care center Leenderhof. That is why Marij has been nominated for the title Brabander of the Year.
You can vote for Marij or read more about the other nominees our special voting page.
Playing on her accordion, Marij enters the grand café of care center Leenderhof. The residents immediately start swaying to the music. “Nice, isn’t it,” an older gentleman exclaims enthusiastically.
“I like to put a smile on people’s faces.”
Marij comes every week to make music for and with the residents of Leenderhof. But she does much more. “I also come every day for a coffee and a chat with the people.” And her dog Kaatje is always with her. “She even got her own volunteer badge,” says Marij with a laugh.
Marij has been retired since the beginning of this year. But she can still be found in Leenderhof every day. A golden volunteer. She beams: “I’ve worked here for 25 years, it’s my second home. So I love coming here. And I do everything they ask me to do. I like to put a smile on people’s faces.”
“I think it’s important that people can take their animals with them when they go to a nursing home.”
Marij not only takes care of the residents of Leenderhof. The animals can also count on her. “I think it’s very important that people can take their animals with them when they go to a nursing home or sheltered accommodation,” explains Marij as she shakes cat food into a bowl. “They have to leave so much behind and those animals are often very important to them. That’s why I take care of them every day. I feed them and clean the litter boxes. I see that people enjoy it.”
And if that isn’t enough, Marij has recently been driving around in a tuktuk. With this she treats the residents to nice outings in the area. Mr. Van Heeswijk gets in with her. He says enthusiastically: “For example, we go to the village to eat an ice cream or to the chapel. It’s wonderful, you’re suddenly mobile again. It’s great that Marij spends her time and energy on this.”
Marij listens modestly from behind the wheel of the tuktuk. “When I see people enjoying themselves, I think: I made their day again. And that makes my day!”
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