The corona pandemic has hit many people hard. Families with children who live in cramped conditions and have to make do with little money have suffered particularly badly. The time was anything but easy, even for old people. An important help for thousands of people in Munich and the region was the extraordinary commitment of the SZ readers for their charity, the “Advent Calendar for Good Works”. A week before the start of the 74th fundraiser, the SZ looks back: What did the support bring?
Desks and a good bed
This makes learning even more fun: Melinda Y. proudly points to her new desk, where she now does her homework. She has already successfully mastered the first class, now she is attending the second and with the new purchase she now has more space to conjure up the drawings she loves so much on paper or to deal with arithmetic. That seems difficult to many, but it’s not magic, as she can see from her older sister, who is currently attending technical college, will take her Abitur and will then do something with numbers because she always gets an A in math.
A lot has changed in the apartment since SZ managed to support single mother Ceyda Y. and her three children with the help of readers who donated to the advent calendar. There is now a dining table in the kitchen where the family can sit comfortably together. A washing machine makes household chores easier, which is important for Ceyda Y., because she not only has to be there for her children, but also works to set an example for them. Although she is over 40, she has completed training as a socio-educational assistant and is currently working for the Bavarian Red Cross.
Now she wants to apply for a job in the city, in a youth center or an orphanage. She’s hoping to get the job, and she’s trying to transition seamlessly “without being unemployed.” She is proud to stand on her own two feet. Without the help of the SZ readers, on her own, she would not have managed to break out of the difficult family situation and open up new perspectives for her children.
But now Melinda not only has a desk, but also a good bed, a scooter and a snow globe – which came from a reader. Her brother Edin, who does a lot of sport, got new shoes, and there is now a desk in the eldest daughter’s room so that she no longer has to do her homework at the kitchen table. “It’s going up,” says Ceyda Y., full of gratitude for the help and with a new drive to master life.
Happy with the position as a nursing assistant
It’s like seeing her radiance through the phone. “It’s going uphill,” says Martha Weber (name changed). A lot has changed since the end of last year, a lot has improved, says the single mother of two. Her son is now five years old and developmentally delayed, he started speaking late. For a long time, the mother was unable to find a suitable childcare place, but for a good year now he has been going to a day care center where he feels very comfortable. He is happy, says Martha Weber.
She sounds the same too. She is now back to work, has completed training as a nursing assistant and has taken up a position in a retirement home. Does she like it? “Definitely”, she laughs, “I like to go there.” Great team, great employer, and above all: Now the family no longer has to live on Hartz IV. Martha Weber’s marriage broke up during the pandemic, also because the man’s company did not survive the corona lull. The professional pressure on the father had an impact on the entire family, they sat at home a lot, there were conflicts.
After difficult years, Martha Weber is on the up again. She was able to buy new beds for herself and her son.
(Photo: Catherine Hess)
There hasn’t been much money in the family in recent years. The mother and her two children were all the happier about the donation from the advent calendar. She was finally able to afford a new, good bed with a good mattress, wide enough for the two children to have room next to their mother. And the best thing about it, says Martha Weber, is that her back pain has subsided. “I sleep wonderfully.” They also bought a new bed and a bicycle for the boy. The daughter, she is in her teens, wanted a skateboard and something to wear. “Many, many thanks to everyone who made this possible for us,” says Martha Weber.
money for repairs
“Oh yes, the donation was great,” says Irmgard V., “I was able to have a lot of things repaired.” Your shoes for example. And she was able to have her clothes altered because she lost weight. Get a spare part for the washing machine that a neighbor wants to fix for her. “I am very grateful for that.” The 72-year-old divides her small pension, which is now topped up by a basic pension. “I’ve lived frugally for a long time, I hardly heat.” However, she also has the advantage of living in a new, sustainably planned house. So far, the advance payment for operating costs has only risen by 18 percent. “I don’t have a TV, I move around a lot. And when I’m cold, I put on two sweaters and wrap myself in a blanket or go straight to bed.”
Irmgard V. volunteers at Cafe Eigenleben.
(Photo: Catherine Hess)
She consumes very little anyway. “Luxury was already frowned upon by my parents,” says the pensioner. “I can still turn a few screws,” but for many people it is difficult because of energy costs and inflation. “Bad things didn’t happen to me, I’m grateful for that.” And so she gets involved for others, supports the Café Eigenleben on a voluntary basis, works as a dementia helper, helps a family – grandmother, daughter, granddaughter – to get along here after fleeing the Ukraine. She is very happy that she can now invite her family to eat at Café Eigenleben.