Keen about helping others?! Make life colorful at Leb Bunt e.V.!

By Julia Schneider

A few introductory questions
You enjoy being in close contact with people and different age groups.
You prefer flexible working hours.
You passionately participate in joint team activities, such as games or cooking evenings.
You want to gain new experiences and are eager to hear about others’ experiences;
or you’re looking for like-minded people.
If, among other things, the following aspects also apply to you and you generally like to help other people, then volunteering at Leb Bunt e.V. may well be an option for you. Maybe you are even a “born volunteer” 😊. Find out – this blog post should assist you.
Introduction
Volunteering is a win-win situation: on the one hand, it offers fulfillment for the helper, and on the other hand, helpers benefit from their commitment. And this is precisely why such great things can be moved and achieved through volunteering. What volunteering means and how you can specifically volunteer for Leb Bunt e.V., we present to you in this blog post.
Did you know: according to Statista, over 15.72 million people in Germany were engaged in volunteer work in 2022! Here is the most important key data:

What is an honorary office anyway? Volunteering is the performance of an unpaid task that serves the common good of society. Synonymously, you can use the term “civic engagement”. This brings into focus the central aspects that go hand in hand with an honorary position: voluntary, unpaid and oriented toward the common good. Activities related to integration and working with older people serve to promote social competence.


Good reasons for community service


The impetus for people to get involved into volunteer work is various. We at Leb Bunt e.V. have analyzed the motivations for volunteering in more detail and conducted a survey among team members. Specifically, we asked team members what inspires them to volunteer at Leb Bunt e.V.
The survey question results show that the belief in doing something good and desirable is firmly rooted with the activity at Leb Bunt e.V.. Many team members want to contribute to improved well-being in society through their volunteer work. For others, it is an inner need to help people, which is why they have chosen to volunteer at Leb Bunt e.V..
The gratitude of others for their activity is sufficient for them – there is no need for payment or special recognition. Immigrant team members in particular also want to overcome the feeling of being alone that they themselves suffer as immigrants in Germany or that they have experienced from their circle of acquaintances. They feel compelled to volunteer because they experience loneliness firsthand. Especially the cultural diversity, intergenerational activities and the will to integrate drive many people to become active volunteers at Leb Bunt e.V.. Specifically, learning the German language was frequently mentioned among the team members interviewed.
Because Leb Bunt e.V. brings together different cultures in one place and regularly undertakes joint activities, active use of the German language is automatically promoted – without noticing it and without having to attend German language courses. Especially the work in age-mixed and culturally diverse teams drives many members to get actively involved in Leb Bunt e.V.. Some may have integration difficulties themselves and want to talk about their bureaucratic hurdles to naturalization, while others find it easier to fill out forms for authorities or perform everyday tasks in a foreign environment.
Leb Bunt e.V. promotes the exchange of experiences and brings different groups of people together. Performing an honorary office means having company oneself. Thus, many team members find a social connection and like-minded people through their voluntary work. Permanent friendships have also already been formed. If you watch out, you will not “only” find new friends, but also numerous other reasons to become active on a voluntary basis at Leb Bunt e.V. and to help in very different ways.


Examples of voluntary activities at Leb Bunt e.V.


You would like to help socially lonely and marginalized people and wonder which volunteer positions are available at Leb Bunt e.V.? This is an overview which will help you to find some voluntary work that suits you:
Fundraising
Everything that has to do with raising funds/donations for our NGO. Example: Your company or friends want to donate money to social projects. Marketing, Communication & PR
Anything that has to do with drawing attention to our NGO, possible PR initiatives, social media, newspaper, online presence, etc. Example: you are in contact with a newspaper/online magazine/blog that could write about us.

Brand Strategy, People & Culture
Ideas for new activities, events, projects, improvements, etc. For example: How about starting a story slam for our Das Hallo Projekt (DHP) participants? Let’s go to the wine festival as a community event! How about developing a new project that…?


Social work as a therapy


Although by definition you are not paid money for your voluntary work, you benefit in various ways:
Not everybody copes equally well with the challenges of everyday life in Germany. Through your social commitment, the purpose in life and the autonomy of certain groups of people (especially of immigrated and older people) is promoted, so that they can better handle everyday situations. A voluntary activity, with which you help others, is particularly suitable when there is enough free time, for example when you have retired. However, social commitment is anything but a job only for pensioners. Rather, people of all ages can pursue volunteer work.
But social work means more than improving the lives of individuals. Social team activities can strengthen the soft skills of all team members. The ability to work in a team and to deal with other cultures are therefore part of the social skills. The overriding goal of the voluntary work at Leb Bunt e.V. is always to prevent the social isolation of people.


Personal reflection and conclusion


What kind of volunteer activity fits me and my profile? For those who are excited about the volunteer work of others, but don’t know if they would also like to do some form of volunteer work at Leb Bunt e.V., contact us at: https://leb-bunt.org/kontakt/
We are looking forward to motivated helpers!