In Lower Saxony, many people volunteer for the common good.
They want to help society without being paid.
This is called “Ehrenamt” (a fancy word for “volunteer work”).

Or you can just say “volunteers.”
Volunteers help other people.
In their free time.
They don’t get paid for it.

Volunteers can do all sorts of things:

• Go shopping for other people.
• Read aloud in nursing homes.
• Or serve coffee.
• Help children practice math.
  Or play with them.
• Walking dogs.
• Helping out at festivals.

People with disabilities can also become volunteers.
For example:

• People with learning disabilities
• People with mental health conditions
• People in wheelchairs

All of these people deserve special recognition.
“Recognition” here means:
These people should receive a thank-you.

That is what the Lower Saxony Volunteer Service Card is for.
The Lower Saxony Volunteer Service Card is an award.
That means:
You receive the card for your volunteer work.

With the Lower Saxony Volunteer Card, you receive benefits.
“Discounts” here means:
You pay less money.
For example, at:

• public facilities
• businesses
• sports
• culture
• Recreation

Who is eligible for a card?

• Do you do volunteer work in Lower Saxony?
  Or do you live here in Lower Saxony?
• Have you been working for the common good for 2 years?
  And do you work at least 5 hours a week toward that goal?
  Or do you work 250 hours a year?
• Or have you been working in a youth leadership role for at least one year?
  (technical term: “Ju-lei-ca” is a certification in youth work)?

If so, you can receive a volunteer ID card.

The following volunteers receive the card immediately:

• Volunteer firefighters with training
• Disaster response personnel with training
• Emergency medical services volunteers with training

In Lower Saxony, 3.2 million people volunteer for the common good. In doing so, they make an important contribution to social cohesion and help make Lower Saxony a great place to live. All civic volunteers deserve our thanks for this dedication. Their work is invaluable and deserves public recognition.

The Lower Saxony Ehrenamtskarte is an attractive award designed to honor outstanding commitment. It serves as a way to give something back to those who go above and beyond to help others, enrich our shared lives, and foster solidarity in our society.

With the Ehrenamtskarte, you can enjoy discounts at public institutions and from numerous service providers. Whether it’s sports, culture, or leisure—the areas where you can use the card are diverse.

The City of Salzgitter has commissioned the Volunteer Center (FZS) to carry out the application, checking and issuing of the Ehrenamtskarte. The applicant can download the application form at

freiwilligenzentrum-salzgitter.de/unser-service/ (opens in a new tab)

- the FZS will provide all the necessary information.

The completed application form must be confirmed by the organization for which the applicant is volunteering and then forwarded to the FZS.

A list of current benefits in Salzgitter can also be found on this website.