Arheilgen, Waldkolonie and Lincoln-Siedlung benefit
Mayor and Head of Social Services Barbara Akdeniz received a grant of €307,000 from Hessian Minister of Social Affairs Heike Hofmann on January 22nd to support community development projects in Arheilgen (Muckerhaus), Waldkolonie (Siegfried-Geppert-Haus), and Lincoln-Siedlung (Quartierwerkstatt). Community development projects in these three districts have been supported by the Hessian state funding program for community development since 2016.
Mayor Akdeniz: “I am very pleased that, with the help of this funding, the successful work in Arheilgen, in the Waldkolonie and in the Lincoln settlement can continue. It enables us to create effective services that are geared towards the needs of the residents and at the same time facilitate participation in community life.”
Darmstadt is a growing and economically prosperous city with metropolitan dynamism and international flair, offering a diverse and high-quality infrastructure. Nevertheless, poverty and social exclusion also exist here, according to Akdeniz. This is evident in social spaces and immediate neighborhoods. Therefore, a particular focus on socially disadvantaged neighborhoods within the framework of community work is of great importance. At the same time, it is crucial to strengthen and stabilize these social spaces: "Community work is a key pillar of municipal social policy for overcoming poverty and social exclusion. Based on the principles of Darmstadt's social policy – prevention, participation, community-based approach, and inclusion – we work together consistently to counteract exclusion, segregation, stigmatization, and discrimination based on social or ethnic origin. The city has underscored this commitment for many years by providing municipal funding for the implementation and safeguarding of community work on the ground. Strengthening new neighborhoods, such as in the Lincoln Estate, is of particular value in this regard."
Qualified social workers support and empower socially disadvantaged people to actively participate in political processes and articulate their interests and needs. At the same time, the principle of community work also contributes to the structural transformation of segregating conditions. Community work in Arheilgen, the Waldkolonie, and the Lincoln-Siedlung is implemented by the Regional Diakonie Darmstadt-Dieburg on behalf of the City of Darmstadt.
“As the sponsoring organization, we welcome the fact that community work at the three locations will be supported with state funding for another two years and urge the state government to continue the funding program beyond 2026,” said Jenna Reibold, Head of the Regional Diakonie Darmstadt Dieburg. “These resources enable us, as the sponsoring organization, to continue addressing the diverse needs of people through needs-based social work on-site. Activating and empowering people towards greater self-reliance is particularly important to us.”
To create and establish a sustainable social and political awareness among the residents of neighborhoods and districts, so that they actively advocate for their rights and concerns, time and personnel resources are particularly needed in community work.
“A significant increase in funding for municipalities is, in our view, necessary to promote long-term neighborhood development. In this context, the funding provided by the State of Hesse sends a positive signal to people living in social areas with particular development needs. Given the increasing municipalization of social services, it is crucial to adequately strengthen local community work to ensure the long-term participation of people in the supported neighborhoods,” adds Jenna Reibold. Community work centers are located in Eberstadt-Süd, the Pallaswiesen-Morneweg district (operated by the Caritas Association), the Lincoln settlement, Kranichstein, Waldkolonie, Arheilgen (operated by the Regional Diakonie Darmstadt-Dieburg), and the Postsiedlung (operated by Zusammen in der Postsiedlung eV). Depending on the location, they are funded by the City of Darmstadt with the help of federal and state subsidies, as well as by the respective social service providers' own funds.
(DARMSTADT – PSD / dk)
