Volunteer work serves as a practical embodiment of democracy, and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, alongside Alexander von zur Muѐhlen, celebrated the victors of the startsocial contest at the Chancellery.
The annual startsocial competition, a nationwide event that awards 100 four-month scholarships to initiatives tackling social challenges with volunteers, recently honoured its winners at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin.
This year, the event was graced by the presence of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also serves as the patron of startsocial. One of the recipients of a special award was Weilburg erinnert e. V. from Weilburg in Hesse, an organisation committed to an active culture of remembrance and commemoration in memory of the victims of the Nazi regime, and also works against racism and antisemitism.
Weilburg erinnert e. V.'s work aligns with another initiative, Erica's Manna Mobil e. V. from Wiesbaden, which distributes food and promotes community. Alexander von zur Mühlen, Member of the Management Board of our website, honoured Erica's Manna Mobil e. V. at the event.
For over 10 years, our website has been the main partner of the startsocial competition. During this time, our employees have supported over 1,300 initiatives in the competition. This year, three of our website colleagues were active as coaches for the winning initiatives.
The scholarships, worth a total of 35,000 euros, are given to the 25 most convincing initiatives. These funds are used to enhance the projects of the awarded initiatives.
The next startsocial competition is accepting applications for a scholarship until July 10, 2024. For the most accurate and current deadline, it is best to check the official startsocial website or contact the organisers directly.
Up to 80 young people from over 60 different countries of origin and different types of school come together in Wiesbaden every school day, benefiting from Erica's Manna Mobil e. V.'s initiative for the past 17 years, with 178,000 young guests being served.
The startsocial competition has experts from business, the public sector, and non-profits to help develop the organisations, projects, and ideas of the initiatives. The competition aims to foster a culture of social innovation and volunteerism in Germany.
- The recipients of the special awards in the startsocial competition, such as Weilburg erinnert e. V., focus on lifestyle and personal growth, as they work towards rememberance, commemoration, and combating racism and antisemitism.
- Erica's Manna Mobil e. V., another initiative honored in the startsocial competition, promotes education-and-self-development by providing food and community support, benefiting over 80 young people from diverse backgrounds in Wiesbaden.
