Three hours per week of volunteer work, 100% remote, flexible working hours
The LIFE Initiative is a non-profit organization. Our volunteers support people in emergencies with individual online counseling and coaching on bureaucratic problems. The volunteer community is diverse. Volunteers are in various phases of life and have different professions. Some bring experience in the social sector. Some have migrated to Germany. Get to know some of our volunteers here.
As a volunteer, you get a training to prepare you for you role as a coach. We are happy about people who have their own experience with German authorities and who, in addition to German, speak further languages, e.g. Arabic, English, Farsi or Turkish.
Your tasks:
- Counseling and support for clients (people seeking help) concerning difficulties with immigration offices and other authorities
- Coaching and helping people in need to help themselves through regular digital communication
- If interested, collaboration in the development of the LIFE Initiative
What we offer:
- Training as preparation for your work as a social coach
- Flexible working hours (approx. three hours per week)
- Mentoring by experienced member of the LIFE Initiative team and exchange within the volunteer community
- Advancement of communicative and professional skills by supporting people in emergency situations
- Reference letter and Certificate of voluntary work
What you bring:
- Availability for at least 4 months
- German at advanced level (about C1, but your German does not have to be without mistakes)
- Further languages are very welcome, especially e.g: Arabic, English, Farsi, Turkish, Russian
- You are willing to get into and learn about bureaucratic issues (no prior knowledge necessary!). If you have own experience with the immigration office or job center, that can be helpful.
- Team spirit and motivation to participate in the development of a volunteer network
Your application:
The work as a social coach is done on a voluntary basis (not paid). We are looking forward to your application via our application form.
You can also contact us at any time by e-mail (jobs@life-initiative.org) with your questions or send your application.
LIFE Initiative e.V.
represented by: Ramin Goo
Oranienstraße 203,10999 Berlin
E-mail: jobs@life-initiative.org
Phone: +49 30 233 213 00
What does volunteer work mean?
Volunteer work means voluntarily doing something for others. Volunteers spend their free time doing things that they find important. They do not receive any money for their voluntary work; the volunteer work is not their job. Volunteering at the LIFE Initiative is about supporting people who have problems with bureaucracy and German authorities. The volunteers are not experts or professionals, but they inform themselves and look for solutions together with the clients. Volunteering at the LIFE Initiative is completely online and you can schedule your time very flexibly.
What training will I receive?
Before starting their work, all volunteers take part in a three-hour training workshop. It is focused on the basics and communication of working as a social coach at the LIFE Initiative. After that, you will receive your first case. You will discuss each case with an expert and will be accompanied by a mentor or an experienced volunteer. In monthly experience exchange rounds, you get input on content-related and communication challenges in your work.
Which topics are the focus of the social work as a volunteer?
The assistance offered by the LIFE Initiative is aimed at adults with low income who are confronted with bureaucratic difficulties that they cannot solve on their own. Many of our clients are migrants, some do not understand German well or have only been living in Germany for a short time. The topics of the social coachings are very diverse. We help to answer a letter from the job center, to write an application to the social welfare office or to get an answer from the immigration office. We do not answer complex legal questions, but we do help our clients to find lawyers or refer them to specific counseling centers.
Do I need prior knowledge of bureaucratic issues?
No. No prior knowledge is required for your volunteer work with the LIFE Initiative. As a volunteer you get extensive information from us. You can research many questions during your social coaching on your own (e.g.: What papers do you need to open a bank account? How do you find a lawyer?). For other questions, you will exchange ideas within the LIFE Initiative team and consult the solutions of other volunteers and cases. You should be able to understand administrative German, but you don’t need any prior knowledge. Having own experience in contact with certain authorities can help in supporting clients—but it is not a prerequisite either.
Do I have to speak perfect German?
No. However, our volunteers currently need German at around C1 level (no certificate required). This is because communication with German authorities plays an important role in their work. In addition, our internal communication so far is also in German (e.g. the wiki on our work processes and common topics). We are working on making our work more multilingual and hope to soon be able to offer volunteering opportunities to people who do not yet speak C1 German. If you are interested in that, please get in touch with us!
What are my working hours as a Social Coach at the LIFE Initiative?
Your working hours are very flexible. Some volunteers do social counseling with their clients in the evening, others during the day or on weekends. You determine the times yourself. We assign you a new case every two to four weeks. For all the tasks of your volunteering, you should plan about three hours per week. You can let us know at any time if you do not want to receive any new cases, for example, if you are on vacation, very busy at work, or if you have exams coming up. Since the interaction with clients can sometimes last for several months, we are looking for volunteers who would like to work with us for a longer period of time.
What programs and devices do I need?
A normal smartphone and a computer are sufficient. We will give you access to our communication tools after onboarding. For the volunteering, you should open an extra WhatsApp account, separate from your private communication. We will explain to you how to do this.