Social affairs - Woidke calls for commitment: "Volunteering is cohesion"
Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) has called on the population to get involved in voluntary work and is also hoping for more young people. "Volunteering is cohesion, volunteering is being there for others," said Woidke on Saturday at a reception for more than 60 Brandenburg volunteers. As many young people as possible should be encouraged to get involved. "This next generation question - that has always been a big question." He has been a member of several associations for more than 30 years. According to him, around 800,000 people in the state are involved in voluntary work.
The head of government wants to improve the framework conditions for voluntary work. "We will do everything we can to improve the working conditions for volunteers," said Woidke. Volunteers should make suggestions for this. For the 17th time, Woidke invited committed people to the volunteer reception at the State Chancellery in Potsdam.
Nancy Petsch was one of the volunteers honored by Woidke. She is the initiator of the private initiative Team Kleiderursel from Brandenburg an der Havel, which provides clothing to families in need. Iranian Arezoo Almasi is part of her team. The mountaineer and former sports teacher also offers sports and fitness courses for children and young people as well as women with a migration background and interpreting services for refugees.
Kerstin Tennius from Strausberg (Märkisch-Oderland district) heads the specialist committee of the state association of registrars, which organizes further training courses. Registrars don't just say 'I do': "Many people have the misconception that we only conduct marriages," said Tennius. She cited notarizations as an example. Diethardt Schulz, head of the village in the Perleberg district of Sükow (Prignitz), has been campaigning for a village community center for around 30 years - and now it is finished.
The Brandenburg state government promotes volunteering with awards such as "Volunteer of the Month" and an ideas competition entitled "Future of Volunteering", which offers prize money of 15,000 euros.
The Greens see many volunteer initiatives for refugees as a sign of openness towards refugees. "Many Brandenburgers welcome people in need with open arms, the opportunities of immigration are seen and appreciated by many," said state leader Alexandra Pichl ahead of the Day of Volunteering on Tuesday (December 5). "Then it's no longer about people smuggling and reception figures, but about the people themselves."
Social Affairs Minister Ursula Nonnemacher (Greens) praised the commitment. "Without volunteers, life in Brandenburg would literally be poorer; without you, many local help services that some people rely on every day could not be maintained," she said, addressing the volunteers.
Volunteering in Brandenburg
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Dietmar Woidke, the SPD's leader in Brandenburg, expressed his hope for more young people to get involved in volunteering, recognizing its importance in promoting cohesion. He has himself been involved in various associations for over 30 years. One of the honorees at his volunteer reception was Nancy Petsch from Brandenburg an der Havel, who initiated the private initiative Team Kleiderursel, providing clothing to families in need, with Iranian Arezoo Almasi being part of her team. They also offer sports and fitness courses for children and young people, as well as interpreting services for refugees.
Source: www.stern.de
