Active Newcomers
Volunteering for new perspectives
THE GOAL – Create opportunities for newcomers to shape their communities
Many people who are new to Germany would like to participate and be involved in their communities. We think that's great!
However, many still lack information and personal support to get started. We are here to change that: Active Newcomers supports refugees and migrants in Berlin with their start into volunteering and social engagement.
Supported by
THE IDEA – Work together to shape our society
Newcomers and locals work together for a good cause and get to know each other personally. The newcomer volunteers experience firsthand how people in Germany live, work, and communicate. They re-apply their unique talents to a new context and develop valuable skills while making new friends.
And the best part is: social volunteering is easy and bypasses all bureaucratic hurdles. Newcomers can start right away!
For newcomers
Are you new to Germany and would like to do something useful for society? Are you tired of waiting to get started? Sign up here and start your volunteering journey now.
Sign up as a particpant
For social projects
Does your organization want to support newcomers but you are not quite sure how?
Sign up now and we will help you to integrate newcomer volunteers to your team.
Sign up as a project
THE PROJECTS – Your help is needed!
THE PROGRAM – What does “Active Newcomers“ offer?
- Information: We inform newcomers about the various possibilities to get involved in community projects and initiatives through a volunteering activity.
- Qualification: We prepare both newcomers and German social organizations for their joint volunteering experience. We offer supporting trainings as well as personal coaching and consulting.
- Access: On GoVolunteer.com newcomers explore a variety of volunteering opportunities. We are the matchmaker: We find the best match based on their skills and interests. Then we connect them to the people on the ground.
- Personal support: If you are a newcomer volunteer, we connect you with your favorite social projects that work on the causes that are close to your heart. We assist you with personal coaching and mentoring.
OUR TEAM – Your contacts for “Active Newcomers“
Malte Bedürftig
Founder & CEO
Thomas Noppen
Program Director
Ramy Alsaleh
Volunteer Coaching
Patricia Jankowski
Volunteer Coaching
Frederike Hülsmann
Team Management
Dominique Prescher
Communications
André Brötz
Learning & Insights
Mónica Pinedo
Development
Greta Schnaak
Partnerships
Send us an email: [email protected] or a WhatsApp message (+49 176 8609 7680)
CHALLENGE & OPPORTUNITY – Overcome isolation, enable active participation
For more than one million refugees and migrants living in Germany the biggest challenge is integrating into society and at work. Bureaucratic hurdles make a quick integration difficult. Many newcomers find themselves in a situation of relative isolation, which is enhanced by living conditions in shelters and language barriers.
Volunteering offers an opportunity to overcome this isolation, without any complications or administrative hurdles. Newcomers can develop new relationships and gain experience in dealing with German work environments. The numerous contacts to German native speakers help to improve language competences. Getting socially engaged provides newcomers with an opportunity to break out of their psychologically draining situation and once again put their individual abilities to meaningful use.
It's a win-win: Refugees and migrants bring in new ideas and specific knowledge, which has a high relevance for many projects in the social sector.