There is a moment, when you step into a new community, where you feel you are part of something bigger than yourself. That’s exactly what I experienced on my first day of volunteering with Voervervoer, a beautiful initiative in Amsterdam run by Charley and his friends that gives new life to raw materials, turning recycling into an act of care and sharing.
Every Monday, the doors open and the magic begins: shelves filled with recovered products, ready for anyone who needs to shop without worries. And then the kitchen — the beating heart of the project — where, together with other volunteers, we prepare warm meals that smell like home. There is no distinction between those who cook and those who eat: we are all part of the same table, united by the desire to be together.
What struck me most was the simplicity of the gestures. Chopping vegetables, stirring a soup, serving a plate: everyday actions that, in this context, become symbols of solidarity. The kitchen itself is very small, with the most basic equipment, and yet five or even six people manage to move together like a dance — each step coordinated, each gesture flowing — all united by the same purpose: preparing a warm meal to be shared.
In Umbria, with Sagraincasa I learned the value of kilometro zero, of cooking with what the land offers. Here in Amsterdam, with Voervervoer, I discovered another side of the same philosophy: not wasting, transforming surplus into nourishment and community. It feels as if my roots and this new experience have met, speaking the same language of sustainability and sharing.
At the end of the day, watching people sitting around the table, I realized this is not just volunteering: it is a way of creating bonds, of building a sense of belonging. And as I bike home, with the scent of soup still lingering, I thought that every Monday will be a small step toward a warmer, more human world.
