There are currently over 3,000 refugees living in “communal accommodations” in the district of Fulda. Contrary to its name, this type of housing can lead to the isolation of our new neighbors. Few Fuldaers know refugees who are living here; the groups talk about but not with one another. The fear that exists on both sides stands in the way of personal interaction. Instead, only rumors, fear and conflict arise.

We want to change that!

In November of 2015, we - a group of about thirty active members of Welcome In - began working toward the establishment of a common meeting place for refugees and people from the region, a Wohnzimmer (“living room”) in Fulda’s city center. Since then we have been tirelessly planning and organizing, and are already able to share our concept paper (which you can read, in German, here). As part of this non-profit project, volunteers, together with refugees, will open and operate the

„Welcome In – Wohnzimmer“.

At the Wohnzimmer, people will be able to get to know one another in a casual environment, exchange ideas, and support each other. In addition, many Welcome In projects can then be offered in the Wohnzimmer instead of in the communal accommodations themselves, thus preserving the refugees’ privacy and creating a space for true integration. In addition, a range of cultural events that contribute to improved mutual understanding will be offered and hosted in the Wohnzimmer.

We are asking for your help to put this ambitious project into action - especially with the search for facilities and the financing of rental costs. Wohnzimmer is not profit-oriented and runs entirely on the generous contributions of our supporters. A one-time or, ideally, regular donation would help us enormously.

For donations of 100 euro or greater, we will always send a receipt of donation to the address you enter, and we will gladly do so for smaller donations as well. However, since we all work with the organization on a volunteer basis, it may take some time before you receive the receipt. We thank you for your understanding.

Our detailed concept paper can be found here (in German), and we are happy to present our ideas and plans to you personally as well.

You can email us at info@wohnzimmer-fulda.de and get regular updates on our progress on our Facebook page.