Close to people | Stories from Bethel
Carved from the same wood
Wood is the great passion of Daniel Heinzmann, owner of the joinery "woodsense" in Bielefeld-Hillegossen. He talks enthusiastically about the natural material: "Every piece of wood has an individual grain, its own character and very special properties for processing," he explains to his employee Philip Fengler as he strokes a thick board with the flat of his hand.
Only the highest quality solid wood, including wood from the Bielefeld forest, is used in his company, emphasises Daniel Heinzmann. Philip Fengler shares his boss's enthusiasm. "In our trade, you have to have a deep interest in wood to enjoy it," says the 30-year-old, who has only been working at "woodsense" for nine months - in an integrated workplace. And he is having fun: "This is exactly what I always wanted: a varied manual job in a completely normal company," says the man who was previously employed at the Kracks Bethel workshop in Bielefeld-Sennestadt.
"This is exactly what I always wanted: a varied manual job in a completely normal company."
However, the joinery is not completely normal. Daniel Heinzmann and his wife Dorina Heinzmann have a special empathy for the situation of people with disabilities. That's why they employ two people from Bethel in their workshop on Detmolder Straße. "We're all cut from the same cloth," says Daniel Heinzmann. That's why people with disabilities should be integrated into working life as a matter of course. Dorina Heinzmann adds: "Work that you enjoy and that makes you feel valued is important for everyone."
The joinery "woodsense" specialises in sauna construction. Philip Fengler likes the project-based construction of saunas of various designs - and the fact that he has an immediate and visible sense of achievement. "It's good for your self-esteem," says the trained woodworker, who suffers from poor eyesight and a mental impairment. Neither of these things prevent him from being able to develop his manual skills in carpentry. "It's varied and familiar here. In the workshop for disabled people, it was often too monotonous and restless for me personally."
Philip Fengler wanted to return to the primary labour market. He is currently still employed by the workshop for disabled people. But that is set to change. "We want to become an inclusive company and have formally applied to the Landschaftsverband for this," reports Daniel Heinzmann. Philip Fengler and the second employee from Bethel, Dominik Kruse, would then be subject to social security contributions. For Dominik Kruse, who has only been a member of the nine-strong team for a few weeks, this would be an emotional quantum leap: "It would be another significant boost for my head, especially as I would then receive a normal salary," says the 30-year-old happily.
Text + image: Gunnar Kreutner
This story simply told
Philip Fengler used to work in a workshop for people with disabilities in Bethel. Today, he works in a wood workshop outside Bethel. Saunas are built in this workshop. Philip Fengler finds the work exciting and feels at home in his team.
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Company-integrated workplaces
Am Bahnhof 6
33602 Bielefeld
Offers & services
The company-integrated jobs are a special offer for people with disabilities and mental impairments who are interested and able to work in jobs on the general labour market in normal companies with colleagues without disabilities.
