Hejmo is a nonprofit that brings migrants, refugees, and long-time Berliners together through free, low-barrier activities centered around food, music, language, and art. We create spaces where people meet as equals and shape a better city together.
For us, integration is a two-way process where newcomers and established Berliners participate in each others’ lives. We want everybody to feel a sense of belonging and responsibility towards each other and to advocate for a more inclusive and resilient society.
15.000 participants,
2.500 volunteers,
80 monthly activities &
6 programs.
We envision a resilient society where everyone feels connected and valued.
To build vibrant communities where everybody feels valued and purposeful. By connecting refugees, migrants, and everyone else who wants to create community, we promote participation in social, political, and cultural life and foster belonging and social cohesion.
Our programs are free and open to everybody. Through cultural, educational, and participatory initiatives, we want to build bridges and connections within our community.
Give Something Back to Berlin begins with a viral Facebook post
We officially become a registered organization and conduct our first project with the Oranienplatz movement
Open Kitchen starts cooking at Orianienplatz
Our first Open Language Café takes place
After the “Summer of Migration,” we start outreach programmes in different shelters across the city, including Refugio
Open Music School starts offering lessons
We receive our first major grant from the Lotto Stiftung Berlin
Open Music Lab is founded
Open Hearts Space begins its activities in the summer
We are invited to present our work at the UN headquarters in New York
Our activities move online during the height of the pandemic
We launch the Agora Podcast
We start an Arabic Language Café
Our cookbook “The Feast” is published
We welcomed more than 15.000 people and 2.500 volunteers in that year alone
Our second project space, the Blue House, opens
Give Something Back to Berlin becomes Hejmo
In the past decade, we have reached over 70.000 people and created more than 160.000 volunteering hours, helping to foster creativity and build connections among Berlin’s different communities.
Our work has gained international recognition, with awards from the United Nations and BMW, the Alliance for Democracy and Tolerance, the Green Party, the Robert Bosch Foundation, and many others. We’ve also welcomed notable visitors, including the King and Queen of Sweden, former US President Barack Obama, and various ministers and ambassadors from around the world.
Check out our 10-Year Impact Report for more insights into what we’ve been up to and our 2024 annual report for more recent activities.
In 2025, Give Something Back to Berlin e.V. became Hejmo. Our old name reflected our beginnings as a volunteer initiative, but over time we became something broader - a place to connect, create, and belong. While “Give Something Back to Berlin” carried history, it could also suggest an expectation to give back or a hierarchy between people. That’s not our approach. We welcome everyone as they are, with nothing expected in return.
Hejmo is our word for home - not a building, but the warmth, safety, and connection we create together. It’s the feeling that grows with every shared meal, conversation, and friendship, shaping the Berlin we want to live in.
What is happening at Hejmo