Volunteering is even more effective when it is properly coordinated. Caritas in Schermbeck is your contact if you have not yet joined another organization, association or working group or do not have independent access. Monika Liesenfeld is coordinator for voluntary work in Schermbeck. She can be found in the Ecco Hotel in the city center during specific hours (Tuesdays 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursdays 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Fridays 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.).
As a volunteer working with Caritas, you are insured during your gratuitous work. Working time and location must be agreed upon with the Caritas coordinator for volunteers.
Irregularly and according to prior agreement, there is a volunteer meeting in the Café of the Ecco Hotel Tuesday at 5 p.m. This is to answer questions, coordinate the work of volunteers and inform newcomers of where their help is most needed. Simply contact Monika Liesenfeld to find out the details of the next meeting.
Contact Monika Liesenfeld, Volunteer Coordinator for Refugee Work:
Caritas Association for the Deaneries of Dinslaken and Wesel
Maassenstraße 1
46514 Schermbeck
Phone.: 02853 4480731
Cell: 0160 90449226
Email: m.liesenfeld@caritas-schermbeck.de
Speaking German is the first step towards successful integration into society. In Schermbeck, refugees take courses at the adult education center (“VHS”), the trade school, at specially organized German language courses for refugees and voluntary lessons by locals. Some refugees visit lessons by volunteers in addition to German courses offered by, for example, the VHS.
You would like to contribute to enabling refugees to lay the foundation for integration themselves? You would like to get into contact with our new citizens? Then join the volunteers who offer daily lessons, for example in the Rheinisch-Westfälischer Hof or the premises of Caritas. Share the fun when conversations continue to improve or if you contributed to enabling young people to pass a German language exam.
Anyone is welcome to teach German language courses, the German alphabet for those whose native language uses a different writing system or simply to make conversation. After all, in addition to German language skills, personal contact and conversation are so important for giving a feeling of not floating freely in this new country. From students to senior citizens, many people have become involved and many are still needed.
Monika Liesenfeld is the contact person for German language courses in Schermbeck.
Contact Monika Liesenfeld, Volunteer Coordinator for Refugee Work
Caritas Association for the Deaneries of Dinslaken and Wesel
Maassenstraße 1
46514 Schermbeck
Phone.: 02853 4480731
Cell: 0160 90449226
Email: m.liesenfeld@caritas-schermbeck.de
She will put you into contact with other active volunteers to coordinate your involvement.
For those not confident enough to teach refugees the German language through grammar and writing lessons, or if you simply do not have much time, occasional conversations can still contribute to improving refugees’ German and making them feel accepted and at home. Practicing conversational German is just as important as grammar and orthography. In Schermbeck, there have been “Talking Dates” and the Café International is a place to strike up conversations. Likewise, it is possible to drop by the Ecco Hotel or the Rheinisch-Westfälischer Hof. Time and again, citizens of Schermbeck accompany refugees to church, sports activities or other occasions. This reinforces a sense of security in mastering everyday situations and gives the opportunity to learn special vocabulary for specific situations hands-on. This way, what began as a German language course can develop into a course on cultural integration.
B1, A2 or DTZ? All sounds Greek to you? These are the levels of studying and assessing German as a foreign language. DTZ is the German language test for immigrants (“Deutschtest für Zuwanderer“). It is important for refugees to learn German quickly and systematically. This way, they can succeed with an apprenticeship, study at university or enter the workforce.
Preparing for exams by oneself is not the ideal method for everyone. Some German language students find it easier to study with good coaching. Get involved and support refugees in preparing for important exams on German as a foreign language.
Visits to public authorities can be insurmountable obstacles for refugees and yet they are essential for financial support, decisions on asylum status and work permits. Understanding obligations and requirements can be life changing.
Even simple tasks such as taking the bus or purchasing a SIM card can become obstacles without the appropriate introduction or accompaniment. Language skills in Arabic, Kurdish, Farsi, Urdu, English or other languages are advantageous but not essential. Oftentimes, patience and creativity are enough to work out activities together or memorize simple sentences that help master everyday life.
Appeal by Caritas to support petitions and visits to public authorities:
“We, the team at Caritas Refugee Support, are still seeking volunteers to support refugees with filing petitions and claims starting immediately. This includes applications for unemployment benefits, child benefits and child-raising benefits. Volunteers are instructed during introductory events on these topics at Ecco Hotel before their assignment.” (Monika Liesenfeld)
Contact Monika Liesenfeld, Volunteer Coordinator for Refugee Work
Caritas Association for the Deaneries of Dinslaken and Wesel
Maassenstraße 1
46514 Schermbeck
Phone.: 02853 4480731
Cell: 0160 90449226
Email: m.liesenfeld@caritas-schermbeck.de
The playroom of the Ecco Hotel is open daily from 9 am to 12 noon.
Anyone interested in getting involved in child care of refugee children is welcome to contact the Volunteer Coordinator at Caritas.
General contact:
Caritas Schermbeck, Office ECCO Hotel, Phone 02853 4480731, Office hours: Monday – Thursday 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.,
or Monika Liesenfeld, Volunteer Coordinator at Caritas Schermbeck, Phone 0160 90449226
Email Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: m.liesenfeld@caritas-schermbeck.de
Email Monday and Wednesday: m.liesenfeld@caritas-wesel.de
Help supporting the furnishing of apartments for refugees leaving collective accommodation centers is necessary and highly welcomed. Janitors are only responsible for the collective accommodation centers at Ecco Hotel, Rheinisch-Westfälischer Hof, Schulweg 4 (Üfter Schule), Alte Poststraße 99 and individual apartments.
If you are unsure where and how your support is welcome, simply contact the Caritas volunteer coordinator.
Contact Monika Liesenfeld, Volunteer Coordinator for Refugee Work
Caritas Association for the Deaneries of Dinslaken and Wesel
Maassenstraße 1
46514 Schermbeck
Phone.: 02853 4480731
Cell: 0160 90449226
Email: m.liesenfeld@caritas-schermbeck.de
Sponsors are welcome to accompany medical consultations. There are already several sponsors who can interpret different languages for more complicated conversations on topics such as medical diagnoses or treatment recommendations involved. Medical knowledge is not required. It is already helpful to listen well and think along. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who has just arrived here. Even for native speakers it is difficult to record all important information when one is apprehensive about being sick. For people with insufficient command of the language, it is even more difficult.
Please contact:
Lore Penzel
Freiwilligenzentrale Caritas Dinslaken
Phone 0 20 64 / 97 06 42
Email: freiwilligenzentrale@caritas-dinslaken.de
Giving refugees the opportunity to work, arranging internships, vocational training and workplaces is important to facilitate our new fellow citizens’ self-reliance. Earning income is an important step towards successful integration. Only those who earn their own income can contribute to the principle of mutual solidarity and no longer burden the system. The municipality Schermbeck has trained five job coaches through the integrAIDE association (find out more about job placements for refugees at www.integrai.de). They are experts on employment opportunities and the different benefits by the Employment Agency (“Agentur für Arbeit”) working in an honorary capacity.
Many refugees want to work, but cannot find vacancies or believe that they are not permitted to work. At the same time, many entrepreneurs, restaurateurs and self-employed persons in Schermbeck are searching for employees or would like to train apprentices. Job coaches work as honorary intermediaries to bring the two sides together.
Your contact for refugees and company owners:
Dr. Jana Magdanz
Cell: 0170-2335994
Email: jana.magdanz@gmail.com
Many apprenticeship positions are vacant and many companies are searching for interested young adults, who they would first like to get to know through an internship. Beginning a professional career with the goal of entering an occupation to support themselves and maybe even a family is a key opportunity for young refugees to successfully integrate into society. In addition, beginning an apprenticeship increases the prospects of staying in Germany for a longer period because the intent of supporting oneself is recognized by the authorities. The task of matching apprenticeship or internship positions and interested applicants is very rewarding. Interested citizens who would like to inform themselves about volunteering in job placement services or want to start right away can contact job coach Jana Magdanz (Cell: 0170 2335994).
Any companies who can offer an apprenticeship or internship or know of such a position should also contact Jana Magdanz.
Tobias Krause at Caritas Schermbeck is another contact (Phone 02853 4480731 or by email at fluechtlingshilfe@caritas-schermbeck.de). Together with volunteers, he works on the Job Coaches project by the intergrAIDE Association in Schermbeck.
You have time and are interested in taking care of a refugee or a refugee family? Then you already fulfil two important criteria of a sponsorship. Of course, you should also be open to other cultures and approach people with empathy. Since refugees need dependable partners, commitment and reliability are important qualities. Sponsors should spend as much time in their hometown as possible and block a few hours every week to care for the sponsored party. Adolescents are also welcome to get involved. However, if the sponsored party entered Germany as a minor, only adults can assume sponsorship.
Interesting links:
Stiftungssektor
Freie Wohlfahrtsverbände
Migrantenorganisationen
If you would like to assume sponsorship for an unaccompanied minor refugee, experience in youth work is beneficial. Be open and sensitive to traumatic experiences that many unaccompanied children and adolescents have made on their long journey. Sponsorships are generally arranged by the youth welfare office or by private agencies of child and adolescent welfare. You should be able to provide an extended police clearance certificate and, in some cases, a health certificate.
The information hotline of the Federal Office for Family and Civil Society (BAFzA) is a central point of contact if you are interested in becoming a sponsor, guardian or host family. You will be referred to a local contact person. The information hotline is available from Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 0800 200 50 70.
The following pages are also relevant:
Becoming a foster family for one or several unaccompanied minor refugees is a challenge. There are many guidebooks and/or counsellors (e.g. kompetenzzentrum-pflegekinder.de or moses-online.de) that can give you an idea of whether you should take on this responsibility, for example at kompetenzzentrum-pflegekinder.de (in German). Of course, the local youth welfare office is your point of contact if you would like to inform yourself about taking in a refugee child. (More information).
Families are supported with a monthly allowance. The project “Menschen stärken Menschen” (“People encourage people”) by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs supports your undertaking.
Every foster child also has a legal guardian in addition to the foster family, which decides only on matters of everyday life. All important legal questions are decided by the legal guardian, the same as with German foster children.
If you decide to take in a foster child, you must apply as a foster family. Further information on the application process can be found in a special issue of “Stiftung Warentest” (German consumer organization). The youth welfare office assesses your application and, in case of a positive decision, a child or adolescent can move in with you.
Guardians play a key role in the care of unaccompanied minor refugees. As soon as an unaccompanied child or adolescent enters Germany, the prerequisites for appointing a guardianship are fulfilled. The family courts are responsible for this. By law, the youth welfare office (“Jugendamt”) is only required to inform the family courts of this circumstance one month after the minor’s entry. In Germany, lawful guardians are urgently sought after. Suitable private persons are preferred, otherwise the youth welfare office stands in as court-appointed official guardian.
Children and adolescents who have fled to Germany become wards when their parents – even by phone – are unable to care for their children and cannot take immediate part in decisions concerning the child’s well-being. In this case, parental care is suspended. A guardian assumes legal authority, takes care of the child’s well-being, financial affairs, right of residence outlook and health care, supports the child in matters of asylum and right of residence, ensures attendance at school, helps to reunite the family where possible and provides suitable measures to facilitate language acquisition.
Are you interested in guardianship and are looking for a contact person in your area? Please contact the youth welfare office. It is entrusted with the task of obtaining and qualifying guardians.
Apartment hunting is a challenge for refugees. Volunteers are urgently sought after to provide support. Caritas Schermbeck has applied for funds to provide a laptop in the premises of Caritas Schermbeck for facilitating apartment hunting online. But your help is welcome even before apartment hunting can be coordinated at Caritas. Help arrange apartments for refugees in Schermbeck.
Contact Monika Liesenfeld, Volunteer Coordinator for Refugee Work
Caritas Association for the Deaneries of Dinslaken and Wesel
Maassenstraße 1
46514 Schermbeck
Phone.: 02853 4480731
Cell: 0160 90449226
Email: m.liesenfeld@caritas-schermbeck.de
Living an orderly life in a foreign country starts with living in one’s own apartment. It can be decorated as desired, offers room to retreat and host friends. In addition to learning the German language, it is an important step towards successful integration into society. After three months in Germany, refugees can settle into an apartment. Until then, refugees are required to live in a preliminary reception center.
If you rent residential properties or can offer them gratuitously, please contact the responsible housing office at the city hall – citizen center, welfare, room 300 in the city hall, phone: 0 28 53 – 91 03 00 and 0 28 53 - 91 03 05 and finance department, phone: 0 28 53 - 91 0221, room 221.
Pro Asyl has gathered important information in a pdf document, which you can view here.
This way you allow refugees to leave conflict-ridden mass accommodation to lead a more normal life. A few things should be considered: After registration of the offered residential property, potential tenants are proposed to the landlord. Often, these are refugees whose asylum procedure has been approved, but also some where it is still on-going. The landlord can then decide on a tenant. Of course, both the landlord and tenant have the usual rights and duties associated with a rental agreement.
It is also possible to rent out a single room in your house to a refugee with a sublease contract. In case you are a tenant yourself, the landlord’s permission is required to sublease an in-law apartment. The housing office has guidelines on the minimum size of refugee accommodation.
For refugees who depend on social benefits, the authorities will pay the rent – generally the social security office or the Employment Agency. The maximum rates of the respective municipality apply. Incomes from rent are subject to tax as usual. For rentals of up to six months, sales tax applies in addition. Usually it is not necessary to adapt the residential building insurance according to the special situation.
Reading mentorships are well-known from our work with German children, who often need someone by their side to learn to read more fluently or just to calm down enough to learn and study. Such a mentorship is just as important for children who do not read in their mother tongue at school. Similar to homework tutoring, children regularly need support to work on their skills for school in a loving, trusting and fun environment.
There are not enough volunteers to offer this support in Schermbeck. Pull yourself together and contact the Caritas office or the volunteer coordinator, Monika Liesenfeld, to support children with immigrant backgrounds with reading.
Contact Monika Liesenfeld, Volunteer Coordinator for Refugee Work
Caritas Association for the Deaneries of Dinslaken and Wesel
Maassenstraße 1
46514 Schermbeck
Phone.: 02853 4480731
Cell: 0160 90449226
Email: m.liesenfeld@caritas-schermbeck.de
Meeting regularly is the key to helping children with their homework. Furthermore, this type of help is possible for many people and rewards you with the feeling that your protégés are progressing with the subject matter.
Arrange a fixed date on one or several days a week and take the time to keep the appointment without fail. Regularity and dependability are very important for homework tutoring in order to build a resilient, trustful relationship.
So far, homework tutoring cannot be offered in Schermbeck due to a lack of volunteers. We need you to support children to enable them to follow along in school and adjust to their new surroundings.
Contact Monika Liesenfeld, Volunteer Coordinator for Refugee Work
Caritas Association for the Deaneries of Dinslaken and Wesel
Maassenstraße 1
46514 Schermbeck
Phone.: 02853 4480731
Cell: 0160 90449226
Email: m.liesenfeld@caritas-schermbeck.de
Just think of planning leisure activities together with other people once in a while. Maybe it would be nice to take along someone on your day trip or to invite them to a barbecue party. These small gestures give newly arrived people in Schermbeck the feeling of being thought of and included. Day trips and invitations are crucial experiences of integration. They open the door for refugees to learn about German culture, traditions and the area. This does not have to be a grand plan. It is enough to include someone in your leisure time. Because it is not just an apartment, the language and employment which allows people to settle down and adjust to their new home. Sometimes it is enough just to be there, make friends and be interested in each other’s stories.
Caritas plans joint leisure activities and day trips and will in future publish such dates in the Schermbeck event calendar at www.wir-sind-schermbeck.de/events. Take a look regularly to join a group or organize an event yourself.
If you have the impression that an important element of the support, care and integration of refugees is missing or you have an idea for a great project then you are welcome take action yourself at any time. It is helpful to contact people who are already working in refugee support full-time or as volunteers. Together, you can discuss and improve your idea and maybe even implement it more quickly. The volunteer café at the Ecco Hotel (takes places irregularly), the volunteer coordinator Monika Liesenfeld and Tobias Krause at Caritas are your contact persons as well as the contacts listed in this platform for more specific matters. Do not hesitate to share and implement your ideas and suggestions. Integration in Schermbeck can only be a success story if as many people as possible help to make a positive impact on the lives of refugees and locals alike. Refugee work is enriching and builds prospects for the future.
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