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Village caretakers strengthen community: New contact points in Thuringia!
In the Unstrut-Hainich district, volunteer village carers have been supporting 20 communities since spring. Further information about tasks and financing.
Village caretakers strengthen community: New contact points in Thuringia!
A new initiative for village engagement has gained a foothold in the Unstrut-Hainich district. Since spring, 20 volunteer village caretakers have been active in 19 locations, including the new contact points in Ammern, Körner, Menteroda and Eckardtsleben. The village carers face the challenge of acting as a link between the communities and their residents. Your tasks range from supporting seniors with administrative procedures to organizing community activities for young people.
The financing of this voluntary work is ensured by the state program “Solidarity Together”. The monthly expense allowance is 200 euros plus a flat rate of 50 euros for material costs. Although regular consultation hours are offered, it turns out that these are often little used. Rather, contact often takes place directly on the street or by telephone, which also points to the silent challenges that village caretakers face. MDR.de reports that ...
Village carer: A key role in communities
The concept of village caretakers has found further popularity in the community of Grammetal: there have been village caretakers in five towns for three months. Although the project is still in its early stages, the approaches to strengthening the village community are promising. An anonymous quote from a discussion about compensation shows that there are concerns about how underpaying could discourage volunteering. The feedback from the population and from the village carers should help to further develop the project. Konstantin Schwark highlights why we need village carers.
The creation of networks and the further training of volunteer carers are further essential components of the initiatives. Several qualification measures have already promoted commitment to rural development. The idea is to train the volunteers and enable them to act actively and trigger impulses in their villages. From practical examples to supporting training modules – the success of these measures depends above all on the implementation of the knowledge learned in practice. Kommunen innovative describes how important these approaches are.
Positive developments despite challenges
In Mühlhausen, the city administration not only provides support for the volunteer carers, but has also created new public beds for an “Edible City”. Cottage gardens were created at three locations, including St. Peter's Church. Planned harvest festivals in September invite citizens to take part. This shows that despite all the hurdles, there are also bright spots that enrich village life.
But not everything is going smoothly: There was recently an incident of vandalism in the “Sonnenblick” mountain swimming pool in Sondershausen, where around 800 visitors ended the day on Saturday. Nevertheless, the business is not on the brink. Concerns were also raised in Oldisleben when the kiosk was broken into and a cordless screwdriver was stolen. But the difficulties are not only of a material nature, the water stress in northern Thuringia and the resulting problems also show the need for action.
In any case, it seems clear: the village carers play a crucial role for the community. They are more than just contacts - they are the heart of interconnected village life and help ensure that the village community not only survives, but also thrives.