Are you looking for a meaningful activity and would like to volunteer? Civic engagement, also known as volunteering, is an important part of our work.
We are always looking for ladies and gentlemen who would like to contribute time to support the clothing foundation. Do you have a few hours a week to spare and would like to get involved in social causes?
A total of about 120 volunteers work at the German Clothes Foundation in various areas, for example in the receiving office, the sorting department or in one of our charity stores. For many of them, it is both an incentive and an important concern to make a meaningful contribution to society. In this way, volunteers lay an important foundation for healthy togetherness - a belief in their fellow human beings and the community. We are very pleased that interest in volunteering is growing steadily and that we can bring people together, network and unite through this.
Possible locations
If you are interested, please contact us at info@kleiderstiftung.de
More than 30 million people in Germany are now involved in volunteering. The Engagement Week, organized by the Bundesnetzwerk Bürgerschaftliches Engagement (Federal Network for Civic Involvement), demonstrates the diversity and relevance of this commitment to society. At the German Clothing Foundation, too, numerous volunteers are largely responsible for the aid organization's success. Here we present some of the volunteers who work for "warmth and dignity".
Anke Wessel was involved in the first Zweimalschön Charity Shop practically from the beginning. She read about the possible honorary position in the newspaper and, as a trained saleswoman, felt addressed. She liked the fact that personal qualities and skills are taken into account and are not subordinated to the activity or the project.
The fact that she has now been involved for over six years, even though the 55-year-old also works full-time elsewhere, is due not least to the cooperation between the volunteers. Many activities are brought in by the volunteers themselves, be it a barbecue event, a visit to the Christmas market or a hiking day. Ms. Wessel is very pleased with this initiative, which of course also includes the permanent employees.
Sabine Andruscheck started her involvement in October 2015, shortly after the charity store opened in Magdeburg. She was made aware of it by a friend. As a seamstress who is particularly concerned about sustainability, she was immediately enthusiastic about the concept. And after initially being primarily responsible for the decoration in the store, she is now at home in all areas. She can also be found at all the events where Zweimalschön presents itself, Green Fair, Sustainability Day, etc.
Ms. Andruscheck takes special pleasure in consulting. The contact with the customers is appreciated and when she is sometimes dubbed "favorite saleswoman", her heart goes out to them. Health permitting, she will remain with Zweimalschön for a long time to come.
Mrs. Zacher-Flohr has been a volunteer at Zweimalschön in Helmstedt for about two years. The 61-year-old read an ad and, since she was no longer working, she signed up. At first she wanted to take a look, but from her point of view everything fit right away: the job, the team and everything around it.
She spends most of her time ironing, labeling, and filling the clothing racks, but she is happy to talk to customers and exchange ideas with colleagues. Ms. Zacher-Flohr is particularly impressed by the fact that volunteering is valued at the German Clothes Foundation. And even if she cannot always take part, she finds community events such as a company outing important and is happy about the invitations.
Clothing stores are important points of contact for the socially disadvantaged. Some of them are part of our diaconal cycle, which means that we bring clothing to the facilities free of charge and pick up donations there that are not needed. Volunteers are very often valuable supports in this area. Ms. Rauh began her work in the clothing closet on a one-euro job basis. However, when the funding was discontinued, she continued on a voluntary basis because employment was close to her heart. Now she has been there with heart and soul for the visitors and customers of the clothing store for over 10 years.
Her dedication can be seen in many small moments, such as when elderly citizens can no longer climb the stairs to the premises and she tirelessly carries clothes downstairs to the front door until something suitable is found. Or when a regular customer is expecting a baby and she puts together a package with the baby's first outfit. Although she organizes all the sorting, putting away, handing out the clothes and putting together the donations for the clothing foundation with just one colleague, Ms. Rauh always has a moment for a chat with those who find their way to the clothing store. Overall, however, she would like to see even more traffic from both sides, donors and customers.
When Birgit Herrmann tells her friends about her work, most of them think it's not a charity store but a small boutique. "Here, a foreign customer can only tell it's second-hand by looking at the prices," she says with a smile. The workplace in the warehouse is ideal for her personally, she says. "Since I like to work, even alone, I can do work there quickly, which relieves my colleagues in the store."
Ms. Herrmann's core activity is sorting, evaluating and pricing children's clothing. When she whirls through the store, her good mood is simply infectious, which is also enjoyed by the customers.For Birgit Herrmann, the most important difference compared to her last jobs is the overall very good working atmosphere. What also inspires her is that in every charity store we offer an opportunity for more sustainable consumption in terms of clothing, household goods and toys, thus making a contribution to social sustainability.