Ways out of loneliness
| Ways out of loneliness e. V. | |
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| purpose | Commitment and ideas for aging worth living and self-determined aging |
| Chair: | Dagmar Hirche , Helge Jans |
| Establishment date: | 2007 |
| Seat : | Hamburg |
| Website: | wegeausdereinsamkeit.de |
Ways out of loneliness e. V. is a non-profit association founded in 2007 with headquarters in Hamburg , which deals with a problem particularly affecting seniors: the increasing loneliness and social isolation due to changed living conditions.
The end of professional activities, the loss of a partner, loosened family ties, financial hardship and dwindling physical strength limit the participation of older people in social interaction more and more in many cases. Therefore, the main focus of the association's work on ways out of loneliness is on long-term projects of social inclusion .
Volunteers, cooperation partners and advocates such as TV presenter and singer Maxi Arland support the work of the association. The projects are financed through donations and membership fees; only statutory projects and initiatives are funded.
Goals and areas of impact
The board chairmen Dagmar Hirche and Helge Jans want to put the dark side of aging and being old in the center of public interest. At the same time, the association sees itself as a contact for the media and as a forum for those affected, committed and interested.
The overriding goal of ways out of loneliness e. V. is that old and young people in Germany can look forward to a long life and have the opportunity to shape their lives independently.
In order to promote the independence and social inclusion of the elderly, the association supports initiatives that benefit the elderly, their relatives and carers. In addition, own projects and competitions are initiated in order to arouse the public's attention to the aspects of aging and to anchor this topic in social awareness.
“The purpose of the association is to support old people who live in need, loneliness or illness. ... The association supports preventive projects in the areas of poverty, illness and isolation of the elderly as well as measures to help in acute situations. ... The association also realizes its purposes by providing information and educating the public about the living conditions of elderly people in Germany. "
Projects
Own projects
- Giving age a positive face : only positive national and international projects related to age are posted and tweeted in social networks.
- We are silvering the network : taking old age with us into the digital world, here: the 1 × 1 of tablets and smartphones for the 65+ generation and, in cooperation with Hamburger Sparkasse, the 1 × 1 of online banking for people 65+ , and in Silver-plated cafés help people 65+ to operate smartphones and tablets.
- Views to Weltseniorentag on October 1 about retirement Flashmob and senior speed dating to pay more attention to age (other clubs in other cities have already connected).
- produced music video Spark of Life shows how fun-loving old age can be.
- The demand for free WiFi in old people's homes and residential complexes for the elderly is raised again and again.
- Animal sponsorship Hagenbeck: 2009 brings ways out of loneliness e. V. the elephant Mala from the zoo Hagenbeck with 40 Hamburg seniors through a sponsorship.
Own competitions
Nationwide ideas competition Home has a future
For the competition, started in 2010, Home has future calls paths out of loneliness e. V. nationwide clubs, associations, foundations, other non-profit institutions and private individuals. With the competition, Weg aus der Einsamkeit e. V. create a wider public for the organizations that use new measures to promote a self-determined life for senior citizens. According to the motto at home, the future is looking for ideas and projects that enable older people to live in their own four walls for as long as possible.
The annual competition awards first place with 3,000 euros, second place with 1,500 euros and third place with 500 euros. The winners are selected by an independent jury.
Nationwide ideas competition Experience discovers discoverers
The European Year for Active Aging and Solidarity Between Generations 2012 took paths out of loneliness e. V. as an occasion to establish this topic with a recurring competition not just for one year, but for a longer period: With its own nationwide competition Experience discovered Entdecker 2012, the association called Weg aus der Einsamkeit e. V. encourages us to develop and implement ideas which, through intergenerational cooperation, have a lasting and positive influence on the solidarity of the generations.
The idea behind the competition is that many seniors would like to pass on their time and experience, but do not have the opportunity to do so. In return, children and young people in their immediate environment often have no older relatives and therefore no contact with this generation. With the competition, Weg aus der Einsamkeit e. V. Bring children and young people together with older people.
In August 2012, for the first time, the association called on associations and communities from the senior and children's and youth sectors in Germany to apply with projects or ideas. The topic of experience discovered explorers is intended to appeal to committed people who use new, creative, regular and sustainable joint activities to bring about a better understanding between the young and the old generation. Young and old should benefit from these projects, they should allow solidarity between the generations to grow. Furthermore, the projects should serve as role models for others and encourage them to imitate them.
The winners are determined annually by an external jury and honored during the award ceremony. Prize money: 1st prize 3,000 euros, 2nd prize 1,500 euros, 3rd prize 750 euros. Donations made specifically for this competition will also benefit selected nominees who have not been placed.
Golden Internet Award
Together with BAGSO , Deutsche Telekom , Germany Safe in the Net (DsiN) and Google , the association is committed to and supports the Golden Internet Prize that has been announced since 2012 . It honors people over 60 who use the Internet competently.
Awards
THE GOLDEN PICTURE OF WOMAN 2011
The commitment of ways out of loneliness e. V. was honored in 2011 by Bild der Frau . Under the motto “Strong women. Starkes Land ”was awarded to five initiatives in which women show great social commitment. Dagmar Hirche's performance as chairman of the board and committed figurehead of the association was awarded the "GOLDEN PICTURE of WOMAN 2011".
DiBaDU and your association - special price
With a special prize for a charitable commitment in the sense of the European Year (s) for Active Aging and Solidarity Between Generations 2012, ING-DiBa, together with the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, awarded ten associations with 1,000 euros each, whose voluntary work was to be recognized. This special award was given to Weg aus der Solitude e. V. in December 2012.
Smart Hero Award 2015
In the category “Engagement by Seniors” here: We are silvering the network, the association is honored for its positive image of old age with the Smart Hero Award by Federal Minister Manuela Schwesig.
Marie Simon Nursing Award 2016
For the project "Use the digital world - even in old age", the association is awarded the Marie Simon Care Prize as part of the 3rd Berlin Care Conference.
Demography Excellence Award 2017
In the "innovative & digital" category with the project "We are silvering the network!" The jury of the Award Demography Excellence consists of 15 independent experts from different areas. It is free in its decisions and not bound by any guidelines.
Nominations and applications
In order to spread the association's concerns as widely as possible, Weg aus der Einsamkeit e. V. repeatedly in other socially focused competitions and initiatives. In 2013, for example, the association was nominated for the Springer Medicine Charity Award .
Lobbying
The commitment of ways out of loneliness is noticed by the press and public institutions. The chairman of the board, Dagmar Hirche, is invited to various discussions, dialogues and events as a mouthpiece for the concerns of older people.
Examples of lobbying:
- 2013 Second demography summit of the federal government on the demography strategy “Every age counts” - invitation as an expert to participate in the demography summit
- 2013 Citizens 'Summit "Demographic Change - How do we stay innovative and full of ideas?" - Invitation to participate in the Citizens' Summit in Berlin
- 2015 Panel discussion on the award of the Golden Internet Prize in Berlin with Dagmar Hirche, invited as an expert
- 2015 Awarding of the prize as a member of the jury for the Golden Internet Prize with Jan Kurz
Web links
- Website of ways out of loneliness e. V.
- Competition website Experience discovers explorers of ways out of loneliness e. V.
- Website for the competition Home has the future of ways out of loneliness e. V.
- Internet Golden Award for Seniors website
Individual evidence
- ↑ Article "Ehrenamt" in the Hamburger Abendblatt (March 26, 2011)
- ^ Award ceremony GOLDEN PICTURE of the WOMAN 2011
- ↑ Special price ING-DiBa
- ↑ Smart Hero Award 2015
- ↑ Marie Simon Nursing Prize 2016
- ↑ Award Demography Excellence 2017 , accessed on September 12, 2017
- ↑ springerfachmedien-medizin.de
- ↑ Citizens' Dialogue Federal Ministry of Education and Research