Rich and Poor - my list of organizations fighting poverty in Germany

Poverty is not a marginal issue. It shows itself daily – at train stations, in schools, in advice centers. And it is full of contradictions: help can relieve or disempower, donations can have an impact or miss the mark.

For about a year, I have been working regularly at the Bahnhofsmission at Berlin Zoo. There, it is not about strategies, but about coffee, bread, time, and respect. I learn things there that two decades of working on social problems at desks and on stages did not teach me. Above all, how difficult it is to try to solve problems from the outside – and usually from above.

How ambivalent well-intentioned helping can be is shown by Manuela Müller in her report "The Dark Side of Giving" about Christmas packages for the Zwickauer Tafel. The text was recently awarded Local Report of the Year by the Reporter:innen-Forum.

A personal recommendation list

That is precisely why I have decided to share a list of organizations whose work in combating poverty in Germany convinces me. These are not objective recommendations, but a personal selection. For the most part, I know the founders or have gathered my own experiences with the projects.

All organizations are recognized as non-profit and can be supported via bcause without Transaction fee – directly or via my FO Foundation.

1. The Bahnhofsmission offers people in acute need a safe place and immediate support.

2. Sanktionsfrei protects job seekers from existence-threatening sanctions through counseling and solidarity-based security.

3. querstadtein makes poverty visible by letting those affected share their perspectives in city tours.

4. The Gelbe Villa creates a free learning and meeting place for children and young people from burdened families.

5. Statefree supports stateless people in extreme legal and social insecurity.

6. Wohn:sinn develops inclusive housing models for people with disabilities.

7. KARUNA accompanies young people in poverty, homelessness, or severe crises.

8. Gründer 50 Plus opens up new professional perspectives for people in precarious situations.

9. Team U Restart supports people after insolvency on their way to a self-determined new beginning.