Freiwilligendienst

Ready. Set. Grow.

Voluntary service is a space to try things out, make mistakes, gain experience, and grow beyond yourself.

For the relaunch of Junge Diakonie’s website, we had the chance to showcase the diversity of voluntary service in the Diakonie through five portraits and two overarching campaign films. The concept and voice-over were developed together with the volunteers in several group and one-on-one conversations. Because with projects like this, there is always the risk that they become too promotional, that the message feels imposed. So we asked: How are you really doing? What was difficult? What changed you? The process became almost a kind of guided reflection on their voluntary social year.

The portraits show highs and lows, and at times truly difficult moments. That is exactly what makes them powerful.

We worked with very different people: with elderly people in need of care, with small children in daycare, with teenagers, with people with disabilities at the Theo Lorch workshops, and of course with the FSJ volunteers themselves, including international participants. Our goal was to stay as close as possible to the volunteers’ everyday reality while also creating stylistic breaks and moments of lightness. Through a cross-media approach using emojis, phone footage, animation, and still images, we also picked up on the visual language and media habits of Generation Z and Alpha.

What moved us most: authenticity resonates across generations. The portraits were created for a young target audience, but in the end they also touched parents and grandparents. One piece of feedback from a care home says it best: “I actually got goosebumps watching it. Ms. Claus was even moved to tears. You really created a warm and genuine film.”

Thank you to the five volunteers who embraced this process. And thank you to Diakonie Württemberg for the trust and the courage to take this path with us.