New start as a hostess at Woonbron

Sandra Duijvestijn retired 24 years ago after having children. Since the beginning of this year, she has been working as a hostess at Woonbron. Sandra and her manager, Mieke de Goed, discuss this during a Werkwaardig knowledge meeting, an initiative of Werkse!.

The first days
Sandra came to Delft through the municipality Werkse! right. She wanted to get back to work. She first started building up hours at Werkse! herself. And in February, she started as a hostess at Woonbron. "The first few days were terrifying. I didn't really know what I wanted or what suited me. But I work with really great people."

Space
Mieke de Goed, Sandra's manager at Woonbron: "I involved Sandra in the work process, with room for her own choices: what she wants, what she doesn't." Sandra adds: "I quickly noticed that I like working in a separate space, without too much noise around me. That way, I take the steps myself." Mieke: "We have regular check-ins about how things are going. Sometimes they're difficult conversations, too. That's part of it. For me, it's also a great learning process."

Growth
Sandra has now been working at Woonbron for eight months. "Sandra has grown tremendously. The fact that she's taking a more prominent role and sharing her story is a great example of that." Sandra recognizes this. "I always wanted to be there for others and put myself second." The growth has been gradual. "You're joining a new organization. And you slowly get to know people. It takes time."

This conversation took place at a knowledge meeting for employers of Werkwaardig, an initiative of Werkse!.