Get involved in fostering a sense of community and promoting diversity in Augsburg
Start with a Friend e.V.
- Migrants & Refugees
- Education & Language Support
- Equal Opportunities
- Mentoring, Sponsoring & Career Coaching
- Sports & Leisure Activities
About the volunteering opportunity
Start with a Friend e.V. (SwaF) is a nonprofit organization with over 26 locations nationwide.
More than 450 volunteers work together to promote unity, acceptance, and
inclusion. Our vision is a society that embraces its diversity. To achieve this, we facilitate personal
encounters between people from different backgrounds and with different life experiences, both those with and
without immigrant backgrounds.
Putting the SwaF vision into practice begins with personal encounters—tandems. In a
tandem, newcomers and locals come together. The shared experiences are
diverse: cooking together, learning languages, getting to know the city, culture, and art,
visiting government offices, or getting together at SwaF Tandem community events.
Shared activities foster genuine connections—and often even friendships. In this way, we promote encounters, strengthen social participation, and contribute to a society of solidarity toward immigrants.
SwaF is also active in Augsburg with a dedicated team. We match people in tandems, facilitate the exchange, and regularly organize tandem events.
WHY GET INVOLVED?
Through your involvement, you strengthen community, inclusion, and social cohesion.
At the same time, you’ll gain enriching experiences and make valuable connections.
We look forward to having you join us and are happy to answer any questions you may have.
Through your involvement, you strengthen community, inclusion, and social cohesion.
At the same time, you’ll gain enriching experiences and make valuable connections.
We look forward to having you join us and are happy to answer any questions you may have.
Your Tasks
Volunteering
SwaF exists thanks to its large network of volunteers. Volunteering at SwaF means meeting new people, fostering connections and participation, having opportunities for personal growth, and cultivating a sense of responsibility, reliability, and teamwork. Volunteers can get involved in the matching and event teams. One role does not exclude the other. Through collaboration between the teams, we are able to match tandems and organize tandem events and various activities within the tandem
community. At SwaF, anyone 18 years of age or older can volunteer
.
SwaF exists thanks to its large network of volunteers. Volunteering at SwaF means meeting new people, fostering connections and participation, having opportunities for personal growth, and cultivating a sense of responsibility, reliability, and teamwork. Volunteers can get involved in the matching and event teams. One role does not exclude the other. Through collaboration between the teams, we are able to match tandems and organize tandem events and various activities within the tandem
community. At SwaF, anyone 18 years of age or older can volunteer
.
What's needed
For this volunteering opportunity, basic German skills are required.
You need intermediate German language skills for this volunteer opportunity.
Openness and curiosity.
Interest in intercultural exchange.
About two hours per week.
Time required
Regularly
Discussed individually
On weekdays, on weekends, at night
Location
Start with a Friend e.V.
Start with a Friend pairs immigrants and locals into tandems based on their interests and needs. Ideally, this leads to a friendship; in any case, it creates a social network that makes it easier for immigrants to get started in Germany. Start with a Friend supports and advises the pairs after they’ve been matched and organizes events to help the pairs connect with one another. It’s also important to us to create structures that allow people with busy professional and family lives to get involved. The schedule is therefore flexible, and training opportunities are available but optional. So far, Start with a Friend is active in 26 cities across Germany.