Give Something Back To Berlin is a non-profit group of volunteers who organise free social and integration projects, such as organising language classes, social cooking and bond-building events, theatre and music workshops and projects, and just about everything that would make a refugee feel at home around Berlin.

Now, I help the less fortunate. I give them a cigarette if they ask for one in the street. I chuckle at their ‘Need Money for Beer and Weed’ signs. I sometimes even tip bartenders. But you guys aren’t like me. You’re good people. And, in the face of the current humanitarian crisis, groups like Give Something Back To Berlin mean we can individually make a big difference to many people’s lives… without actually doing that much.

In their first 2 years GSBTB has built a network of more than 600 volunteers from 45 countries in 60 social organizations across 10 Berlin districts. They have recently turned their focus onto helping the massive influx of refugees arriving in Berlin, and have created a crowd-funding site on Betterplace.org so people can help them to continue their work. Their target is meager and easily achievable with our help – only €8000 – and they’ve already sourced 39% of that target. Together, we can help them smash this.

If you’re reading this, there’s a reasonable chance that you yourself are an immigrant (myself included), albeit the type of immigrant a right-wing politician would call ‘a good immigrant’. So you too can sympathise with the challenges faced by newcomers to a foreign country – especially those not blessed with a knowledge of a Germanic/Romantic language, and an easy escape plan if things go wrong on your Berlin adventure.

If you want to help Give Something Back To Berlin improve the lives of others in Berlin, donate something to them today (your sacrifice could be as little as donating €2.50 and getting your daily falafel from that 40¢ place on Sonnenallee instead of the €2.90 place).

Give Something Back To Berlin’s Refugee Work
– Setting up English and German classes in several refugee homes that have been running every week for two years now.
– Arranging weekly social cooking events to strengthen friendships between refugees and non-refugees.
– Founding a refugee music collaboration that developed into a live ‘n’ kickin’ real band
– Organising welcoming parties, theatre projects and creative workshops with kids, donating money, computers, installing internet in isolated refugee homes and much MUCH more.

GSBTB doesn’t only work with refugees, though. They’ve been doing after-school activities in social centres, mentoring at girls’ clubs, volunteering at homeless shelters, organising creative workshops for less-fortunate kids, and working in elderly homes to mention just a few.

To find out more and donate, visit their Betterplace site here.