Demographic change, migration and increasing individualism are changing the face of our society. These developments are also leaving their mark on our neighborhoods. We want to help ensure that neighborhoods remain stable and that integration is a success story.
Promoting community life
Community life, education, culture – these are three areas that offer straightforward solutions for fostering integration and community spirit. We are actively involved in all three areas, either directly or via our foundations. We organize a whole range of different events, launch competitions and grant scholarships.
It is not just in their apartments that people come together, but also in the area surrounding their homes. Their neighborhoods are their living environment and we want to make sure that this environment is one they feel at home in. We organize green spaces, maintain trees, install benches and design playgrounds and outdoor gyms.
Our customers have diverse cultural backgrounds. We offer our customer services in various languages and are also on hand on site to ensure that tenants settle in to their new environment. And should particular issues arise in the course of day-to-day life, then our social and neighborhood managers can help to iron out any problems.
In an aging society, social care occupations are quickly becoming important. With 22,000 employees and around 37,000 volunteers, the Johanniter organization contributes to this greatly.
A neighborhood community center in Berlin-Ziekow
“Thinking ahead and exploiting new opportunities” – this is the principle based on which we will gradually be converting a total of 145 apartments in two high-rise residential buildings in Berlin-Reinickendorf to make them fully accessible and senior-friendly. We have already laid the foundation for ensuring that our older residents in Berlin-Reinickendorf are well integrated into the community. One step in this process is the cooperation with the Johanniter Unfallhilfe accident assistance organization of the Order of St. John.
Since last summer, the organization has been running a neighborhood community center that allows older people to make use of support services ranging from group lunches to assistance with minor day-to-day tasks. In addition to individual advice, the services also include the opportunity to take part in group activities such as exercise programs for senior citizens, memory training courses and excursions. Residents can also make use of outpatient nursing care services, a meals service, concierge services and a home distress call solution.
Based on the positive experience in Berlin-Ziekow, we will be turning similar projects into a reality in other locations in the future. At the same time, we are considering expanding the services that we ourselves offer our older tenants: for example a laundry service, a medication delivery service, the acceptance of mail and parcels or the installation of a home distress call system.