Network integration

We are a group of volunteers who got together in March 2015.

Since January and March 2015, two families (10 people) have been living in our community as part of the follow-up accommodation. We take care of these two families and are at their side in all possible matters (school, kindergarten, doctors, authorities). Above all, we want you to arrive and be able to cope with your everyday life independently.

Helping people help themselves

We don’t want to take everything from them and try to encourage them, but also to demand them. Our families can and want to take over a lot themselves and only need a helping hand. However, we also notice again and again how helpless one is in everyday life without language.

Language training

That is why one of the first permanent projects was language training in kindergarten and now also in school. Committed people quickly found each other here who would take care of the children and learn German with them in a playful way.

Provisional accommodation in the Riedhof

It has recently become clear that the District Office will use the Riedhof as so-called „temporary accommodation“ (residence time of up to 24 months). At the moment 110 people can be accommodated here. The Riedhof is a well-suited property for this, as the sanitary facilities are already in place in all of the former hotel rooms. The district office (social worker, caretaker and home management) takes over the basic support. However, it is already clear now: this is not possible without support. And that support comes from our church.

What can you do?

Above all: take time for encounters. A friendly greeting on the street or even a cup of coffee together signal a clear welcome to people. If you still have time, we look forward to your support. Specifically, this could mean:

• Driving services

• Shopping aids at the beginning

• Accompany visits to the doctor

• Disposal of clothes in the clothes closet

• Help with understanding letters or forms

• interpreting

• Offer language courses

• Creative offers

• Sports offers

• Cooking together

• Repair bicycles / set up a bicycle workshop together with refugees

… You must have some ideas that we haven’t had yet! Then write us an email:

netzwerk-integration (at) meissenheim.de.

Experience has shown that donations in kind are required:

• Bicycles of all sizes

• Running bikes / Bobbycar / Kettcar

• Child bike seats with bracket

• Pram / buggy cleaned

• Clothes horse

• Suitcases / travel bags

• Travel cots

• bed linen

• Towels

• Toys (coloring books / pens, footballs, cuddly toys, dolls, children’s books with lots of pictures)

• School bags / notebooks / writing materials

• Clothing: please sort by size and gender, well packaged.

• Shoes: bundled in pairs

• Hygiene articles of all kinds: shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste children / adults, toothbrushes, wet wipes, diapers, soap (liquid)

• Baby food: Baby food in jars, milk powder, small bottles, pacifiers. Please donate donations should always be clean and tidy.

Contact persons for donations:

Anke Riek

Phone: +49 (0) 160 3117062

Ute Schneider

Phone: +49 (0) 7824 4224

For further questions:

Stephanie Kopf

Phone: +49 (0) 160 8000239

Irene Leonhardt

Phone: +49 (0) 176 54422454