Business

Deutsche Bank’s Inspirational Initiative to Help Asylum Seekers

Building cultural bridges towards constructive and solid integration

June 23rd, 2016
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The commitment of the employees to help others demonstrates the culture of performance and responsibility that characterizes the Deutsche Bank. With its employee engagement programs, it encourages its people to support local community projects through fundraising and civic engagement. A wide range of volunteering opportunities gives employees the chance to apply their skills to make a difference in their community.

A concrete example of Deutsch Bank employees commitment is a recent initiative established to help refugees.

In early 2016, Deutsche Bank joined forces with a number of other German companies in order to foster the integration of refugees under the umbrella of the “Wir Zusammen” (“We together”) initiative. Deutsche Bank has pledged  that 1,000 employees will work with refugee relief charities as integration coaches over the next three years. This is the core of our commitment, signed by John Cryan, CEO, Deutsche Bank: “As a responsible corporate citizen, we pledge to engage 1,000 of our employees as integration coaches. This is our tangible contribution to fostering an open-minded society and to promoting the culture of welcome in our German home market.”

In many cities and communities in Germany, Deutsche Bank employees help refugees to find their feet. Through local Team Challenges, volunteers prepare temporary accommodation, organize meet-a-friend festivals, cooking and sporting events, assist with bureaucratic formalities, and arrange leisure activities, or collect clothing, toys, and other goods. In 2015, around 900 employees invested around 1,200 days of their time to support 150 refugee-related projects. And an increasing number of our employees act as advisors to social start-ups and businesses that provide targeted support for refugees.

During the year, the social services department of the City of Frankfurt am Main joined forces with the Deutsche Bank Foundation and eight other foundations to create a new initiative called Frankfurt hilft (Frankfurt helps). It aims to create synergies and direct volunteers to local refugee programs.

In late 2015, Deutsche Bank made its former training center near Frankfurt am Main available as a preliminary shelter for up to 600 refugees.

In other parts of the world, they also assist refugees in finding new homes, matched giving programs, or fundraising activities. Deutsche Bank Middle East Foundation, for example, is helping an aid project in Lebanon that provides a safe haven for some 1,500 families as well as water to 700 refugees who are living in tents. Other regions have channeled donations to global relief organizations.

References:

News from Berlin
Sella Conumello, Berlin Global