OPZ Lanaken celebrates 25 years of volunteers with Jan Driessen

Lanaken (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The OPZ in Lanaken is celebrating 25 years of its volunteer program, with 61 volunteers. Coordinator Anja Parthoens and volunteer Jan Driessen highlight patient support, companionship, and the “wooden volunteer” tribute.

As VRT News reported, the Public Psychiatric Care Centre (OPZ) in Lanaken, in the province of Limburg, Belgium, is celebrating 25 years of its volunteer program. The program helps patients by providing support and companionship in daily life. Volunteers spend time with patients talking, walking, or doing hobbies together. 

The centre currently has 61 active volunteers, but there is still a waiting list of patients looking for support. Coordinator Anja Parthoens said many people are afraid to volunteer because they think it will be too difficult.

“These are just people with their own stories and feelings, like you and me,”

she said.

What Makes OPZ Lanaken’s 25-Year Volunteer Program So Impactful?

Volunteers do not need medical training to join the program.

“They take a walk together, go shopping with them, or have a coffee together. It’s about the small human connections. No prior knowledge is required.”

The presence of volunteers has a positive effect on mental health. It helps reduce isolation and lifts patients’ spirits.

“People with a volunteer really brighten up. In difficult times, it’s important to feel like someone is there for you. That makes a huge difference,”

Parthoens explains.

Volunteer Jan Driessen, 83 years old, has been part of the OPZ volunteer program since 2002. His journey started after the death of his mother.

“I often had to care for her,”

he said.

“After she passed away, I saw that the OPZ was looking for volunteers. I had more time then, so I decided to respond to the advertisement.”

Since then, Driessen has helped patients in many ways. He spends time with them, talks with them, and joins them in hobbies and daily activities. 

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the volunteer program, the OPZ created a “wooden volunteer.” The figure was made by patients during woodworking lessons. It represents the bond between volunteers and patients.

OPZC Rekem in the municipality of Lanaken. The origins of the centre date back to the early 1800s, when in 1809, Castle d’Aspremont-Lynden became a “bedelaarsgesticht” (home for beggars and those without a home). The castle officially became a state psychiatric asylum in 1921, with its first psychiatric patients beginning in January of that year. 

In the 1960s, authorities made the decision to construct a modern facility on the heathland between Daalbroekstraat and the river Maas. The first stone of the new facility was laid on 20 November 1967, with the relocation of patients and services gradually occurring over several years, with OPZC Rekem establishing itself at its present site by 1974.