Our volunteers
That is the number of people currently volunteering for the Ambulance Wish Foundation. 351 people who, in their own time, alongside their work, family, and everything else life demands, are ready to help a stranger. For someone who wants to go to the sea one last time. To go home. To a family member they haven't seen in years.
We can do nothing without them.
The charm of the kitchen table
The Ambulance Wish Foundation started in 2007 at a kitchen table in Rhoon. There, Kees Veldboer Sr., then an ambulance driver in Rotterdam, and his wife Ineke, a nurse, conceived the idea that a final wish for someone who can no longer travel independently must still be possible. From that very first year, we fulfilled wishes for patients from all over the Netherlands.
Almost twenty years later, we are still that: a national foundation that fulfills wishes for patients throughout the Netherlands. Some of our volunteers have been there for us since that very first year. They drive, provide care, support, and offer advice, ever since the days when everything was still simply arranged at home around the kitchen table. Others joined later, each with their own story and background. What connects them is a strong sense of family within the foundation. Volunteers, staff, and the board know each other, support each other, and are there for one another.
That family feeling is also embedded in our way of working. Almost every wish, no matter where in the Netherlands it takes place, begins and ends with us in Rhoon. Our ambulances leave there in the morning, head out somewhere in the country for a patient, and return at the end of the day. Sometimes a nurse goes directly to the wish location, but usually the day starts together at the office.
And the kitchen table? That is still there too. Not the small one from 2007 anymore, but a large table where volunteers gather before every wish to prepare for the day, and sit down again afterwards to wrap up the day together. During educational sessions and training, meals are eaten together at that same table. It is the place where we begin, end, and discuss our work.
That is what Sanne de Laat-Koevoets, our Chair of the Board, calls “the charm of the kitchen table.” The foundation grew, but its origins remained the guiding principle. And our volunteers feel that every day.
Wie zijn dit?
Our drivers are often ambulance drivers, firefighters, police officers, or military personnel. People who are used to switching gears when it matters. Currently, 122 of them drive for us. Our nurses, 184 in total, work in hospitals, hospices, home care, and ambulance services. Some specialize in intensive care, oncology, or pediatrics.
Others are all-rounders. What they have in common is that even after their own workday, they still have the energy to be there for our patients. Since 2025, 28 professional photographers have been fulfilling wishes to capture memories for families. Photos that are often the only thing that remains of that last day together.
11 promotional volunteers represent us at trade fairs, conferences, and events. They ensure that more and more people get to know us, so that no patient is unnecessarily left without a wish. And 6 people we call our support staff support us behind the scenes. Things no one sees, but that carry everything.
So, how does it work being a volunteer?
A wish day is often a day of laughter and tears. Sometimes moving, sometimes relaxing, sometimes both at the same time. What our volunteers tell us time and again is that it gives them the most energy. Many families welcome our volunteers throughout the day as if they have always been part of their family. That warmth and gratitude lingers, even long after the wish has been fulfilled.
Our volunteers make themselves available for a full day at least once or twice a month. We handle the scheduling based on availability and what is needed that day. You do not choose a wish; we match you with one. This allows you to focus on what is most important: being there for the patient and their family that day.
Every volunteer completes basic training with us, consisting of e-learning and practical training at our location in Rhoon. Drivers also receive mandatory annual driver training. We are an official resuscitation location, where volunteers can obtain or renew their CPR certificate. These training courses are mandatory for everyone, because our patients and families are entitled to the best we can offer. In addition, we regularly organize optional workshops, ranging from photography to communication in emotional situations.
Do you want to sign up?
First, the honest part. We currently have a waiting list of about a hundred people. So many people want to do something that matters. That says something about the Netherlands, and we think that is wonderful to see.
It also means that it may take a while before you can actually start. Nevertheless, we warmly invite you to apply, especially if you are a driver or nurse. For although the waiting list is long, the demand for these specific roles continues to grow, and we regularly have openings, particularly in those two positions.
You can find our vacancies and the application form on this page . Do you have any questions? Feel free to call or email us via the contact form.
Why do people do this?
We asked them in 2025, in our satisfaction survey. 254 volunteers filled it out. The average rating they gave us was an 8,4.
What touched us about it: it wasn't the camaraderie, not the appreciation of us, not even the work itself. It was that they are proud of who we are together.
We want to work on that feeling every day. For our patients and families. And for the 351 people who make it possible.