Volunteer heroes honored: District Administrator Ebeling honors dedicated helpers

Volunteer heroes honored: District Administrator Ebeling honors dedicated helpers

A special honor for the region's dedicated helpers took place last evening in the Schwandorf district office. District Administrator Thomas Ebeling (CSU) awarded numerous members of aid organizations who were honored for their tireless work in civil defense and disaster protection. Among the honorees are committed women and men from the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK), the mountain rescue service and the Technical Relief Organization (THW), who have each worked on a voluntary basis for 25, 40 or even 50 years. In his speech, Ebeling emphasized the immense importance of volunteering for our society and personally thanked those present for their commitment. “The service of volunteers is indispensable,” he emphasized.

What makes volunteering so valuable? It's not just the time that the helpers invest in operations, exercises and training, but also their willingness to help quickly and reliably in an emergency. Ebeling called this evening a sign of appreciation for all those who serve the community. Governor Otto Josef Langenhan, BRK district manager, echoed these words and praised the volunteers' achievements. “Comradeship and cohesion are of great importance in troubled times,” he added.

Honorable awards and insights into the numbers

Overall, the honorees received decorations, certificates and district books for their many years of loyalty and indispensable service. Those honored include:

• Jugendrotkreuz: Katrin Hofmann (40 Jahre)
• BRK-Bereitschaft Oberviechtach: Matthias Schopf (25 Jahre), Angelika Will (40 Jahre), Uwe Spandau (40 Jahre), Adolf Ried (40 Jahre), Monika Troppmann (40 Jahre), Maria Hauser (50 Jahre)
• BRK-Bereitschaft Maxhütte-Haidhof: Martha Meckl (25 Jahre), Michael Schöberl (50 Jahre)
• BRK-Bereitschaft Bruck: Monika Käsbauer (50 Jahre), Agnes Feuerer (50 Jahre)
• BRK-Bereitschaft Pfreimd-Nabburg: Doris Hannewald-Zweck (25 Jahre), Bianca Joscht (40 Jahre), Bernhard Beierlein (40 Jahre), Eberhard Hampl (50 Jahre), Helmut Zimmerer (50 Jahre)
• BRK-Bereitschaft Schmidgaden: Rainer Vogl (40 Jahre), Emil Mattausch (50 Jahre)
• Bergwacht Schwandorf: Konrad Paa (25 Jahre), Helmut Wurm (40 Jahre)
• THW-Ortsverband Schwandorf: Michael Hauser (25 Jahre), Robert Zenger (40 Jahre), Johann Westiner (50 Jahre)
• THW-Ortsverband Oberviechtach: Andreas Eiser (25 Jahre), Michael Schneeberger (25 Jahre), Katharina Bauer (25 Jahre)
• THW-Ortsverband Nabburg: Vitantonio Verde (25 Jahre)

The importance of volunteering in Germany

The event in Schwandorf reflects a nationwide trend. In Germany, over 1.76 million volunteers are active in civil defense and disaster control, which corresponds to a commitment rate of around three percent of the population. These figures come from a study commissioned by the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), which highlights the challenges and trends in volunteer work. The study not only shows the constant participation numbers since 1999, but also reveals the challenges such as climate change, which is leading to more frequent extreme weather events and increasing the need for volunteer workers.

Especially in times when many organizations have difficulty finding enough members, it becomes clear how important the support of society is. “Only just under a third of the organizations currently have enough members to meet increased demands,” say the study authors. While public funding only accounts for eight percent of revenue, 85 percent of organizations would like government support for their activities.

Another point that emerges from the study is the low number of female members in aid organizations. On average, women make up only 20 percent of members. Initiatives such as the BBK campaign “No matter what you can do, you can help” aim to encourage more underrepresented groups to get involved in order to bring a new and diverse wind to the volunteer landscape.

The platform is available to anyone who is interested in volunteering in the field of rescue and disaster control Volunteering in Bavaria lots more information about local engagement opportunities.

How important it is for people to stand up for others is once again made clear by this celebration in Schwandorf. Each and every one of us can make a difference, and as Ebeling rightly said: “Volunteering is our insurance against the challenges of the times.”