SCHIRM is a great place to ... Milos about his experiences at "S.C.H.I.R.M. Projekt"

SCHIRM Projekt, as a volunteer's place of assignment, is a social house dedicated for youth under the age of 27. Most of the guests that come here are socially ​and economically disadvantaged young people​ with various background stories. In terms of nationality, it is a very diverse place. Here, guests can have a warm meal, take some food with them, wash and dry clothes, take some second-hand clothes (which SCHIRM gets as a donation, mostly from locals), use gym in the basement, play pool, table tennis, some board games or just drink a cup of coffee while chatting with other guests. It is volunteer's and other social workers' job to keep the record of guests by writing their ID's number in the "presence book", talking with guests and advising them with some issues in their life, helping them fill out some bureaucratic forms, supervising guests' usage of the house's inventory (like wash machines, computers, guitar, gym, second-hand wardrobe, etc.) or simply playing with them.

Working here can be a real pleasure, as coworkers are very nice and inclusive, many guests are quite friendly and the general atmosphere is relaxed and without tensions.

It's good to know that some friction can occur with and among guests, but it is rare. In these situations it is best to calmly, but firmly, stand your ground and act as a team with your coworkers.

SCHIRM is a great place to practice your German language skills (sometimes other languages too), get a real picture of problems in Germany and of the way locals deal with them, learn about German culture and customs, advance your social skills, contribute to society as a volunteer and have many valuable experiences.