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Chapter 6

Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner

It is not always a matter of course that neighbors help each other. But this is the prerequisite for a good life together in a community. Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner is a deaconess as well as the founder and managing director of the neighborhood help center in Kreis 5 in Zurich. She brings people together: committed women and men and neighbors seeking help. With her large network, she promotes and supports contacts and coordinates neighborly help in the neighborhood, complementing the existing social facilities and institutions.

Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner
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I can't help all the people myself, but I organize that they get help. And that has a lot to do with networking and building relationships.

FS Parker

Today we are talking about the topic of neighborhood assistance. How did the project start in Kreis 5 in Zurich?

Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner

When I started my work as a deacon for church social work in District 5, I was able to start on the green playing field. And then various people from the neighborhood approached me and said that we needed neighborhood help in our neighborhood. Neighborhood Watch is something that happens in the context of Caring Community. It's about promoting togetherness and, in that sense, also the quality of life in the neighborhood.

FS Parker

Kreis 5 is considered one of the hippest districts in Zurich with a lot of young people. And at the beginning of the project, there were voices that said this project wouldn't work exactly there. But you managed to do it. What was the secret of success?

Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner

District 5 has made several attempts to establish neighborhood assistance. When I started, neighborhood assistance was tied to an institution, to the church. The secret of Neighborhood Watch is that it is non-denominational, open to everyone, regardless of education level or wage level. Good networking has certainly also contributed to its success. As a deacon, I do neighborhood work, which means that I know a lot of other players in the social sphere. And the moment everyone realized that there was someone who cared, they turned to me when someone needed help. And: Circle 5 is a left-wing circle that has an awareness of social issues, of supporting each other.

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Completely unexpected relationships develop. And you really touch each other on a human level.

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Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner
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Completely unexpected relationships develop. And you really touch each other on a human level.

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FS Parker

Matching works for you in a very professional way, similar to the Red Cross.

Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner

With formalized help or neighborhood assistance, on the one hand you recruit volunteers and ask how they would like to get involved, where their interests lie, what gives them fun and pleasure. On the other hand, people come forward with very specific needs: from visits to accompaniment to talks, people who feel lonely, but also people who need computer help or tutoring for children of poverty-stricken families, especially also for families and single parents with a migration background.
During matching, forms are filled out and fed into the program. In addition, we get to know all volunteers personally to get a first impression and to avoid abuse.

FS Parker

After all, it is 100% voluntary. One wonders: What motivates people in our modern, stressful times to help others?

Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner

Voluntary means it is not compensated work. There is no money that we pay out. But in Neighborhood Watch, we naturally encourage exchanges between those who volunteer so they can share their experiences. The important thing is: the compensation that volunteers receive is not monetary. The motivation to help in people comes from the satisfaction - from what they do. They realize that this is an important contribution to the individual, that they mean something to them.

FS Parker

How does neighborhood outreach differentiate itself from professional services?

Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner

Important for us is the support of children with a migration background through tutoring, to promote educational opportunities. These are people who do not have the financial circumstances to finance private tutoring for their children. But we must not compete with professional help. That is, we do not compete with moving companies or cleaning help or nursing institutions. Nor do we offer tax advice. And we watch closely to make sure our volunteers are not taken advantage of. That is very important.

FS Parker

In your work, I'm sure there are also many touching moments....

Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner

A woman with an immigrant background with two small children was able to get off welfare, found work in the restaurant business. But the problem was childcare during early and late working hours. We found someone who took her children to daycare early in the morning. And another woman picked up the children at the end of the working day or even looked after them for a whole weekend. Finally, at Christmas, she even invited the whole family to join her own family circle. A friendship has developed. And the children got a new godmother.

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The volunteers are more and more interested in networking directly with each other and in personal exchange. This again has to do with quality of life in the neighborhood.

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Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner
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The volunteers are more and more interested in networking directly with each other and in personal exchange. This again has to do with quality of life in the neighborhood.

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Who is Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner and why did we choose her?

Beatrice Binder-Wüstiner is a deacon and executive director of the Neighborhood Help in District 5. She is out and about in various places with people for a piece of their life's journey. She organizes, establishes contacts and relationships in the neighborhood, conducts events, visits people and helps alleviate need. Always with an open ear for people from different cultures and social milieus.

I myself am a member of the Neighborhood Assistance and can therefore say from experience that the organization and the people behind it put their heart and soul into it. Especially at Covid-19, you felt a very strong sense of cohesion and Beatrice Binder did everything she could to help as many needy people as possible. Through its volunteer work, Neighborhood Help brings people together - for a greater sense of community and solidarity.
Selina Dermon
Key Account Director & Events Specialist
Beatrice Binder has managed to establish a well-functioning neighborhood help in District 5 after several attempts by different people. The volunteer work that is done every day is very inspiring, as is the openness and encouragement of everyone - regardless of denomination, education or wage level!
Michaela Aerne
Consultant, Project Manager & Media Expert
It amazes me that people take the time to volunteer for the good of the community despite their busy schedules. It is encouraging and comforting to know that even in these troubled times, there are people who are willing to do something to help those less fortunate.
Toni Pihlaja
Art Director & Senior Motion Designer
Chapter 6