The news is grim these days. Everywhere we look things are going off the rails. The cost of living, and the political maneuverings… everything seems like too much, too soon, and too fast. And it’s easy to give in to the atomization of 21st century life; we are millions of people living alone. Alone in a crowd.
Last week I wrote here about “Vereine”, and they certainly are an answer to this isolation and desperation. But there’s also another you should think about as you’re trying to navigate the city and make it our own. Another that helps with anxiety while enriching the community: volunteering, or ‘Eherämterarbeit’.
The mission at Zoo
In the summer of 2013 I volunteered at the Zoologischer Garten Bahnhofsmission for a spell. Most major German cities have a mission in one or more of their big train stations. And they have a long history going back to the 19th century. They were mostly put in place to confront the problem of young girls from the country, coming into the cities and falling into prostitution, though they also helped unlucky travelers.
If you had your baggage, money, and wallet stolen – like in “Emil and the Detectives” – you could show up at a mission and get help contacting your people, even have a place to stay and a meal. Today, the Bahnhofsmissionen are more like soup kitchens; the mission at Zoo still has beds, but they’re not offered to guests anymore.
The guests today form a line outside, get handed a ticket, and then can come in, get a hot meal and a change of clothes if they need it. In the winter they can pick up a sleeping bag or a backpack. The missions serve about 2 full meals a day, and the food is actually really good. It all comes from the Berliner Tafel, and much of it is restaurant quality.
There’s something zen about doing dishes
I wouldn’t recommend this kind of volunteering for the faint of heart. I only made it a few months and there was plenty… how should I put this… “local color”. Most of the guests are sleeping rough and struggling with addiction issues. A lot of them aren’t German, which is why they’ve fallen through the social safety net here. It could get scary. It was funny how a volunteer or three would ask me, “so what did you do?”, assuming I wasn’t there of my free will.
You see, certain crimes come with community service, crimes like riding the metro without a ticket: “Schwarzfahren.” Get caught without a ticket thrice, and you’ll find yourself volunteering or doing time. Folks were often shocked to hear that I was there by choice. And, if I’m being honest, I would hide out doing the dishes to avoid interacting with the guests.
There’s something zen about putting your head down and doing dishes; it can really put you in the zone… and also ensure that you don’t have to talk to anyone. I know that this sounds horrible – and it’s definitely not for everyone – but it’s still a great experience with a lot to teach! If you can hang, give it a go.
A chance to polish up your German
For those who don’t want to get that down and dirty with volunteering, there are organizations like “Gute Tat”: They have a huge selection of ongoing projects in the city, looking for kind souls with some free time. And, when I say huge, just let your mind wander. I went to a few of their orientations where they try to hook you up with a project and the list just didn’t end.
And there’s something so hopeful in that: a hope that you lose when you just go back and forth from your job and your apartment and, God forbid, listen to the news. There’s so much happening in this city and so many people willing to give their time and labor to make it a better place to live.
The one thing, though, is that it’s mostly in German. That’s something to keep in mind. But if you’re looking to polish up your German, this is just as good as a club. I guarantee that you will come away from volunteering with better German, and you’ll be helping folks to boot.
Great places to help or participate
These days I’ve been helping out at “Give Something Back to Berlin,” where I assist in the Open Music School and the Sprachcafé. GSBTB has several things going on Monday through Friday, and they’re always looking for folks to lend a hand. Just head over to their website and check out their schedule: GSBTB is mainly in English among an international crowd.
So, if you’re still getting used to German, this would be a great place to either help or participate. Try the community kitchen where you can make and enjoy a meal with a bunch of strangers… who hopefully won’t stay strangers for very long. There are other language groups aside from the German one on Wednesday night. Language groups are always looking for native or proficient speakers to lend a hand.
There’s not a lot that we can do about the various conflicts going on, or the economic pressure that we’re all under. But there ARE things we can do to help out the communities where we live. This is actually something that human beings are really good at, even amid the endless stream of daunting headlines.
Community is one of the greatest gifts we have
Our ability to help each other is one of our greatest strengths – and one that actually keeps our societies functioning. We aren’t really a winner-take-all species, despite what you hear. As we all feel the crush of external stress, it’s important to remember that there IS some direct action you can take, some great projects inviting you in with open arms.
Community, at the end of the day, is one of the greatest gifts we have. To paraphrase ol’ Kennedy, ask not what your city can do for you. There are tons of opportunities to volunteer. I can’t encourage you enough to give it a try. There are projects in this city that desperately need a helping hand; go find the one that’s right for you. You won’t regret it.
