The team of the LIFE Initiative e.V. helps people in social emergencies with online coaching. For this purpose, the non-profit organization is building a powerful network and structures for effective online volunteering.
Difficulties with government offices can cause existential crises, for example when it comes to residence status, an application for housing subsidies, when people are afraid of dealing with authorities or do not understand the bureaucrat’s German. The LIFE Initiative is quickly accessible for people in need of help, with or without a migration background, from all over Germany via WhatsApp, e-mail or SMS, and provides free and uncomplicated help. In individual online coaching, the volunteers take people seeking advice by hand, get an overview of the problem, and search for a solution from possible assistance programs. If necessary, they draft letters or applications and encourage their clients to pursue their goals. Our goal is for everyone to get one step further.
Our step-by-step guides answer many questions about asylum procedures, residence permits and bureaucracy for migrants in Germany. Each question is explained in few steps as simply as possible. The information is based on our association’s experience with bureaucracy from over 300 cases. For further information, we refer to Handbook Germany, with whom the LIFE Initiative cooperates for the counseling of migrants.
What drives Ramin Goo, the initiator of the LIFE Initiative: “I’m not afraid anymore because you’re there.” These words from a friend have shaped Ramin’s life. For many years, he has supported refugees and friends with bureaucratic problems. As the founder of Kochhaus, Ramin knows how to build an organization, and with the LIFE Initiative, he wants to empower others to change their lives. He is driven by his vision to make social aid accessible to all.
Since August 2022, the team of the LIFE Initiative has successfully helped more than 400 people seeking advice to solve bureaucratic problems (Insight into our work). The team of currently 80 Volunteers in Social Coaching (as of July 2024) combines professional experience from the fields of social work, politics, law, administration, coaching, psychology, and, medicine. The active members support the association financially, organizationally, with IT, social media, public relations and many other tasks.
Up to now, there are only a few offers in the social sector in Germany to volunteer online and 100% remotely. The LIFE Initiative is a pioneer in online volunteering. We enable social engagement for people with young children, changing residences or work commitments, for whom traditional volunteering is difficult to realize. Our volunteers, who offer advice to people in emergency situations, should receive all the information they need and an optimal working environment with just a few clicks. To this end, the initiative is creating the basis for scalable growth with more efficient communication tools, knowledge management and e-learning.
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