CEV member organisations

Germany: Deutscher Caritasverband, Verbund Freiwilligen-Zentren (Full member )

Contact information

Deutscher Caritasverband
Karlstraße 40, Postfach 420
79004 Freiburg
GERMANY

Tel: +49 761 200 425
Fax: +49 761 200 751


Email: eugen.baldas[at]caritas.de
Website: www.caritas.de

Member information

Deutscher Caritasverband, Verbund Freiwilligen-Zentren’s objectives are defined as follows:

Three fundamental goals

• To promote volunteer work within the structures of the welfare state, particularly
  inside the German Caritas Association
• To promote recognition of volunteer work within society
• To continually develop the political framework for voluntary activities

Seven other aims

• Systematic promotion of secondary networks
• Open to all groups
• Encouraging citizens to volunteer for social work
• Providing the unemployed with volunteer work
• Placing volunteers as partners and experts within social work
• Learning from other European countries
• Co-operation and networking

This focus will naturally depend on the local situation. Perhaps there are differences in the various states of Germany as regards for example, social recognition and political support.

History
On the International Day of the Volunteer, 5 December 1996, fourteen Volunteer Centres were founded all over Germany, in a pilot stage until 1999. A network of about 40 volunteer centres will follow the pilot stage, all over Germany, called "Verbund Freiwilligen-Zentren".

Identification
The "Verbund Freiwilligen-Zentren" is an initiative of the German Caritas Association, which is itself part of the social movement. The Caritas Association fights for improved conditions in the field of voluntary social work, and co-operates with socially involved people, initiatives and organisations in an effort to create a society of true solidarity. There is special co-operation between Caritas, the social welfare organisation of the Catholic Church in Germany, and the Diakonisches Werk, the welfare organisation of the Protestant Church in Germany to support Volunteer Centres in an open form for the whole of society in Germany.

Description of resources and volunteer support networks within the country
Money from the churches, money from lotteries, money from the communities and state all contribute to the resources of the organisation. The centres receive between 10% and 40% public money; the rest has to be raised by the centres themselves. There are no guidelines about the funding of volunteer centres with public money.

Services
In various European countries, volunteer centres have a long tradition, especially in England and Scotland. In Germany however, volunteer centres are a relatively young movement. The volunteer centres of this pilot project work on three different levels.


As an agency they offer:

• Advice for persons, groups and institutions on volunteering and channel people into an appropriate voluntary activity
• As a forum for voluntary activity they support:
  Professional discussions and are a platform for shaping public opinion

As a workshop for voluntary commitment they also support:

• The discussion of social ideas
• The promotion of self-organised groups

Every volunteer centre is open for cooperation in different areas, for example culture, sport, religion, music, environment, ecology and more.


Staff team
The Central Secretary for co-ordinating volunteer centres has four professional staff (part time), three young people paid by the hour, and four volunteers. The staff of each centre comprise one to two professionals, and three to five volunteers.