People experiencing social hardship

When Emil Possehl was alive, “the alleviation of hardship” mentioned in the Foundation’s articles of association mainly benefited injured war veterans and their families. To this day, the Possehl Foundation finances a range of programmes for people experiencing social hardship. However, the covid crisis has made it even more clear to us that “need” cannot be seen solely in material terms.

The year 2022 caused us to adjust the focus of our support for people in distress in Lübeck. Everyone living in Lübeck is affected by the war in Ukraine, to different extents and in different ways. So the Possehl Foundation sponsors language courses for migrants regardless of their legal right to remain, because everyone staying in our city should have the opportunity to become part of our society by learning German.

The Foundation is very keen that everyone who has found sanctuary in Lübeck should be visible and feel welcome in the city. So it sponsors the Welcome Bags packed by the municipal Forum for Integration. They are distributed to all migrants in the city. The Forum works particularly to ensure that all refugees are treated equally, and organises regular public campaigns to raise awareness of its demands. So it goes without saying that the Welcome Bags are distributed to anyone seeking sanctuary and protection.

Assistance programmes that the Foundation has funded for a long time, like the debt advisory service, are also faced with new challenges as a result of the war. Rising costs of food and energy mean that more and more people are slipping into a precarious financial situation. There is also the added difficulty that the food banks have waiting lists and have not been able to meet demand for some time now.

The Foundation increased its funding for legal assistance in the crisis year 2022. In addition to financial aid, we want to ensure that those concerned receive sound advice. The charities provide ongoing support, advice and encouragement with professional competence and empathy. Ideally this makes it possible to avoid a relapse into financial distress. So their assistance is also a valuable contribution to a policy of prevention.