Individual assistance
and sponsorship of support services
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. Today, the Possehl Foundation finances a range of programmes for people experiencing social hardship and provides individual help where institutions are unable to do so.
The year 2022 redefined the focus of our support for people in need in Lübeck. The war in Ukraine affects everyone living in Lübeck, albeit in different ways. The Possehl Foundation finances language courses for migrants, regardless of their residence status, because everyone who lives in our city should have the opportunity to be part of our society by learning German.
It is important to the Foundation that all those who have sought refuge in Lübeck are visible and feel welcome. This is why it sponsors the Welcome Bags from the council's Integration Forum, which are distributed to all immigrants. The equal treatment of all refugees is a particular concern of the Forum. It regularly raises public awareness of this issue.
The support services that the Foundation has long supported, such as debt counselling, are also facing new challenges as a result of the war. Rising food and energy costs are putting more and more people at risk of financial distress. To make matters worse, the food banks have waiting lists and have not been able to meet demand for a long time.
The Foundation increased its funding for the legal advice bureau in the crisis year 2022. In addition to financial aid, we want to ensure that those concerned receive sound advice. The legal advice charity provides support, advice and encouragement with expertise and empathy. Ideally this can prevent a relapse into financial hardship.