GEBEWO - Soziale Dienste

The GEBEWO - Soziale Dienste - Berlin gGmbH is a social organization of independent welfare services, founded in 1994, with the aim of helping people in special need. As a non-profit and charitable organization, GEBEWO is committed to supporting and caring for homeless and socially disadvantaged individuals.

GEBEWO offers a wide range of services that are divided into several main areas:

• Emergency Housing Assistance: Here, preventive measures are offered to prevent loss of housing and homelessness, as well as integrative services such as temporary accommodations, social-pedagogical counseling, housing training, and assistance in overcoming financial difficulties. Special projects are aimed at women and families to meet their specific needs[1][3][5].

• Integration Assistance: This includes the care and support of people with mental illnesses, addiction disorders, and other disabilities. Services such as therapeutic supported individual living, therapeutic shared apartments, and special housing forms for alcoholic men and Trans* individuals are part of the service offerings[5].

• Support for Women: GEBEWO operates emergency shelters for women and offers specific counseling and support services to address the particular life situations and needs of women[5].

The main mission of GEBEWO is to help people in need and provide them with a perspective for a self-determined life. The organization is committed to preventing and ending homelessness and promotes the social integration and participation of its clients in society. Values such as solidarity, respect, and the dignity of each individual form the foundation of GEBEWO's work[1][3][5].

GEBEWO is actively engaged in various sustainability initiatives and social projects:

• Cooperations and Memberships: GEBEWO is a member of various organizations such as the Diakonisches Werk Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Oberlausitz (DWBO), the Quality Community for Social Services e.V. (QSD), the State Poverty Conference Berlin (lak), and the Federal Working Group on Homeless Assistance (BAG). These cooperations enable the provision of effective and comprehensive support services[1][3][5].

• Relief Projects and Donations: GEBEWO regularly conducts relief projects, such as the deployment for a relief convoy to Ukraine and the provision of menstrual products for needy women. These projects are often funded through donations and contributions[2][4].

• Environment and Digital Transformation: During the COVID-19 pandemic, GEBEWO implemented energy-saving measures and expanded digital communication and care to ensure the provision of services to clients even under difficult conditions[4].

GEBEWO remains dynamic and adaptable to changing conditions. Currently, the organization has a new managing director, Madeleine Osho-Ogun, who, together with Ekkehard Hayner and Robert Veltmann (who will leave the company in summer 2024), is leading the company. In addition, GEBEWO has merged its subsidiaries, Bürgerhilfe Kultur des Helfens gGmbH and Neue Chance gGmbH, into a single company[2].

With around 40 facilities and 284 full-time employees, GEBEWO continuously focuses on innovative projects and comprehensive support for people in need to realize its mission of social integration and assistance.

• 1 - https://www.betterplace.org/de/organisations/594-gebewo-soziale-dienste-berlin
• 2 - https://www.gebewo.de/?start=15
• 3 - https://www.gebewo.de/ueber-uns
• 4 - https://gebewo-pro.de/pdf/GEBEWOpro_Taetigkeitsbericht-2022.pdf
• 5 - https://sozial.berlin/ueber-uns/gebewo