Networking is an essential part of our work. We connect people - based on their interests and needs - and encourage both the creation and expansion of social networks. Caritas community work aims to include socially disadvantaged people and increase their social participation. We connect local decision makers so that they can combine their efforts in constructive synergy for neighbourhoods and districts. We also connect citizens with developers and decision-makers in order to strengthen effective dialogue and co-determination.

Caritas neighbourhood work creates spaces where people from all walks of life can meet and exchange ideas while cooking, gardening, playing, storytelling or celebrating together. We also provide support in the appropriation of these meeting spaces, ensuring the community as a whole is involved in its design, and facilitate discussion and negotiation processes. An important part of our work also lies in offering support through (potential) conflicts and finding collective solutions.

We help people develop their ideas and initiatives and, in this way, strengthen civic engagement in neighbourhoods. In concrete terms, Caritas neighbourhood work facilitates the development of initiatives and interest groups, provides useful information and supports community-oriented ideas from inception to implementation. We encourage people to develop concrete opportunities for action and activities, thereby actively participating in the shaping of their neighbourhood.

Our activities are guided by people’s needs. It is of particular importance to us to assist those confronted with social disadvantages in their ability to act and develop their skills. For this reason, Caritas district work accompanies participatory processes, invites people to take part in conversations and development processes, and provides training opportunities for volunteers and propagators. We apply a variety of methods to discover and give visibility to people’s real needs, to shape and integrate participation in neighbourhood development processes, to encourage dedicated people and support them in their possibilities for action.

Caritas neighbourhood work accompanies and helps shape social processes. In doing so, we are involved in dynamic developments and welcome all new learning experiences. This knowledge is then passed on in the form of lectures, publications, courses, excursions, discussion events and workshops, which, in turn, further develop the local discourse in the field of district work and community work.