Become a volunteer

The Chaplaincy needs new volunteers

We are currently looking for committed people to help in the Meditation Centre. The centre is opened 24 hours a day for passengers and airport staff who wish a moment of quiet or retreat. The task of the volunteers is to ensure that the Meditation Centre is a pleasant place for passengers to spend time in silence. This means that, as a volunteer, you will be openminded and respectful for the variety of people who enter the centre during your shift. They may have questions or needs you will attend to.

You will often let the visitors do their own thing. Sometimes you can offer a cup of tea or coffee. An important task is to pay attention to the passengers of different faiths and thereby ensure the correct use of the Meditation Centre. Sometimes a visitor wants to tell his or her story and you can lend him or her an ear. On average, there are 120 visitors per day. However, there may also be times when it is quiet.

Op doordeweekse dagen zijn er tijdens kantooruren vrijwilligers aanwezig. In de weekeinden of op feestdagen is er een vrijwilliger aanwezig tussen 10:00-14:00. Iedere vrijwilliger wordt geacht volledig deel te nemen in het rooster dat zeven dagen per week omvat en dan één dagdeel per veertien dagen te verzorgen. Dit dagdeel wisselt over de weekdagen. Er wordt in het rooster niet met vaste dagen gewerkt. De vrijwilligers krijgen hun reiskosten vergoed tot een maximum van €15,00 per dienst. Het is daarom belangrijk dat u in de buurt van Schiphol woont. Daarnaast neemt u deel aan het studieprogramma, dat zes wisselende dagdelen per jaar beslaat en een jaarlijkse studiedag.

We ask from you an open and ecumenical attitude towards church and spirituality, a good command of Dutch and other modern languages, and strong social skills. The airport chaplains train new volunteers and guide them as a group and individually. The training period takes time and energy, both for you and for us. That is why we ask you to be able to contribute as a volunteer for at least two years.

If you are attracted to this challenging task, you can express your interest by filling in the application form on our website. We will then contact you. As a rule, joining the group of volunteers takes place after a number of interviews and after working shifts under supervision for a few times. The procedure also includes a check by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, because you will be working in the protected area (air side). For more information you can also contact us by filling in the contact form.

Kind regards,
on behalf of the Airport Chaplaincy,
Marieke Meiring-Snijder en Gerard Timmermans