Volunteering in Cologne

01Where can I find volunteering in Cologne?

You can find volunteering in Cologne through three well-connected routes: the Kölner Freiwilligen Agentur, the digital volunteering exchange of the city and the AWO civic engagement office. The Kölner Freiwilligen Agentur advises you individually, or you can look for a suitable offer yourself in its online database. Its website also explains the difference between volunteering and a voluntary service. That helps if you are not yet sure which form suits you.

The Ehrenamtsbörse digital is the official platform of the City of Cologne. Associations, initiatives and organisations present their volunteering opportunities there, and you can contact the relevant people directly. If you do not yet know where and how you want to get involved, start a “Rundgang” there. City departments also look for volunteers through the exchange, for example in social services or in environment, green spaces and playgrounds.

The AWO civic engagement office in Cologne sees itself as the link between people in Cologne who want to volunteer and institutions looking for support. Its placement service is free, and you can filter the database for specific offers. An events calendar shows dates related to volunteering in Cologne. This lets you get to know organisations in person before you decide.

02Which areas are there?

The areas in Cologne are particularly wide-ranging, from neighbourhood help through hospitals and justice to the fire brigade and the environment. The city exchange lists, for example, volunteer hospital visiting, volunteer support for offenders in the JVA Köln prison and the volunteer fire brigade with its youth section. There are also neighbourhood help groups such as Kölsch Hätz and a network for volunteer guardianship. A separate section covers queer people and LGBTI topics.

If you can help with language, the Kölner Freiwilligen Agentur is the right place. Its Babellos project organises volunteer language mediation for people who cannot yet make themselves understood in German. The agency also collects donations for its work with international volunteers. If you speak several languages, ask specifically about this in the advice session.

The AWO civic engagement office focuses on social institutions and local neighbourhoods, known in Cologne as the Veedel. Its project “Gemeinsam sind wir stärker” builds communities in the districts, and a separate project is aimed at young people in Cologne aged 12 to 27. At the Veedelstreff in Nippes, so-called third places are emerging where people meet outside work and home. Places like these depend on volunteers who bring them to life.

03How can I get involved in peace and understanding?

You work for peace and understanding where conflicts are settled and people are brought together. The city exchange has its own section for volunteering in law, conciliation and elections. Behind it are roles in which you help settle disputes fairly and safeguard democratic processes. This is peace work in the everyday life of the city, calm and practical.

A second route is working with refugees. The Kölner Freiwilligen Agentur coordinates volunteer work with refugees in the Köln-Mülheim district, and its Babellos project creates understanding in the literal sense. Its guiding idea is encounter between people, varied, engaged and supportive. Anyone who joins in here sees directly how strangers become neighbours.

If you have a project of your own, you can create it as a peace mission on W3ltfrieden or support an existing mission. A mission describes what you plan to do, who is responsible and how progress is documented. You can see in the mission overview whether there are already suitable missions in Cologne. People, not a bot, decide on publication.

04How much time do I need to bring?

You can get started in Cologne with very little time. The Kölner Freiwilligen Agentur has a dedicated offer for short-notice volunteers, with current opportunities that need no long commitment. This is a good way to get to know different institutions. If you like a task, you can turn it into a regular role later.

For regular tasks, it is worth getting advice before you commit. The agencies know which institutions expect fixed weekly slots and where things are more flexible. Be honest about how many hours you can set aside. That way you get suggestions that still fit your everyday life after a few months.

If you have more time, you can consider the Federal Volunteer Service, which AWO Köln also offers. It is a fixed placement over a longer period and different from volunteering alongside work or studies. The Kölner Freiwilligen Agentur explains the difference on its website. Read up there before you choose a form.

Also allow some time for training if you accompany people or take on responsibility. The AWO civic engagement office offers training for volunteers, and many institutions give new volunteers an induction. The dates in the events calendar show you what is currently on. This time pays off because you feel more confident in your task.