mitKids Active Sponsorships (Ehlerding Foundation)

Since 2007, the mitKids Active Sponsorships of the Ehlerding Foundation have connected volunteers with children aged two to nine from challenging family situations in Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Bremen. The aim of this initiative is to build a reliable relationship through regular joint activities and to provide the godchildren with meaningful experiences of success. Through continuous support and tailored matching, a secure environment is created in which the children's self-confidence is strengthened and their socio-emotional development is promoted. The active sponsorships contribute significantly to strengthening social cohesion by combining voluntary commitment with genuine support for families in difficult life circumstances.

Interested parties include families whose children require special support due to a lack of or overburdened caregivers, as well as volunteers who can commit time weekly and provide a clean police clearance certificate. Motivation, reliability, and a careful match between sponsor and child are prerequisites for a successful partnership. Applications are accepted continuously; the application documents include a registration form, a self-disclosure, and the clearance certificate. The program’s open structure allows for individual needs to be addressed in order to guarantee children sustainably stable bonds and to offer sponsors a rewarding volunteer project.