The year
OF MY
LIFE
Social service abroad is a real adventure and a very impactful time in your life – at the same time, your volunteer service will present you with many challenges and sometimes push you to your limits: a new environment, a new culture, foreign people, foreign food, a new daily routine. You will be challenged to leave your own comfort zones behind and dare to take steps out of the “safe boat” in order to experience how faith can become reality and God’s love can become visible in the world in a very practical way. What exactly awaits you when you decide to do social service with “Hilfe die ankommt” is summarised below:
APPLICATION
Application period
In a multi-stage application process, we want to get to know you better and give you the opportunity to learn more about us and your future service opportunities.
Assignment to a service opportunity
After you have completed the application process, the final assignment to a specific project takes place in March in consultation with you and our project leaders on site.
You can find an overview of our service opportunities HERE
PREPARATION
Preparation
The signing of the placement agreement marks the beginning of the preparation for your service. Apart from all legal issues, the focus is now on applying for your visa and building up a circle of supporters.
Preparation seminar
After a 3-day ONLINE kick-off in May, a 14-day preparation seminar takes place in July together with the DMG in Germany. There you will not only get to know the other participants, but also receive important information and helpful tools for your social service and your personal life.
Service Abroad
Departure
After consultation with your project, you will leave the country in the second half of August at the latest. Once you arrive at your placement, you will have 2-3 introductory weeks during which you will get to know your placement country and your placement. At the end, you will receive an individual job description with tasks and responsibilities.
Mid-term seminar
After 5 months (for most of them this is half of the assignment time) mid-term seminars take place as LIVE events together with other participants or ONLINE. If necessary, the job profile and fields of activity are adapted for the second half of the assignment.
Return journey
Unbelievable how time flies. You will return to Austria in June at the latest. Before that, you will have a detailed feedback meeting with your contact person at the placement site.
Re-Entry
Re-Entry Seminar
At the Re-Entry Seminar (again in cooperation with the DMG in Germany) there will be a big get-together. Together we look back, exchange experiences and discuss what it means to experience a "culture shock backwards".