There are bright paints and brushes, glitter, paper plates and egg cartons on the table. Gabi Meier and Katharina Antoni have already prepared everything, because today is in the Open work for the disabled in Ebersberg, OBA for short, handicrafts are announced. Only the participants of the creative workshop are still missing. “It’s always fun here,” says Katharina Antoni. She and Gabi Meier are two old hands at OBA. “Gabi has been there for so long that you would have to go down into the archive to find her files,” jokes Florian Kraemer. Together with Judit Nánási, he heads the Open Work for the Disabled in Ebersberg, which has been supporting people with disabilities and their families since 1990. The community service led Kraemer to his current job as a social worker. Gabi Meier also came to open work with the disabled through community service, but here it was her sons who did their community service there and made them familiar with open work for the disabled.
Gabi Meier and Katharina Antoni are the heart of the creative workshop
Once a month, Gabi Meier accompanies the creative workshop, she used to lead the group for meditative dance. “Actually, I worked as a kindergarten teacher,” she says. Katharina Antoni is a specialist teacher for works and design at the elementary and middle school in Ebersberg. She came to open work for the disabled through her daughter, who was allowed to do her voluntary social year there. “Mom, Gabi is all alone, she needs help,” she had suggested to her mother, which was educationally valuable, to accompany the creative workshop together with Gabi Meier.
The two Florian Kraemers enthusiastically show photos from the last creative meeting, where the participants were allowed to paint carnival pictures. “What a crazy picture,” marvels Katharina Antoni. “He stood there, looked very dark and painted with body and soul, it seemed to go incredibly deep.” Gabi Meier agrees that it is always very touching how much creative work can trigger in the participants. With a lot of heart and sensitivity, the two women approach the work with the disabled. After a long day at work, they sometimes just like to sit on the sofa in the evening, but the creative workshop is always worth getting up and going to the Bavarian Red Cross building in Ebersberg.
Suddenly loud voices and lively chatter can be heard from outside. The participants are here, we can start – what a happy hello! Today Katharina, Ernst, Lena and the twins Monica and Gabi came to do handicrafts. Lena is attending the creative meeting of open work with the disabled for the first time, while the twins have been around for as long as the OBA, says Florian Kraemer with a laugh. Monica and Gabi are 53 years old and identical twins, but you can still tell them apart because Gabi has the i-dot in her name in the form of a mole on her cheek. “Today we have two Gabis and Katharinas in one room, two supervisors and two participants,” jokes Katharina Antoni. That alone promises confusion and a fun evening.
Cardboard hands as a design element: Katharina (left) with the voluntary helper Gabi Meier.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
Ernst designs the egg carton with paint.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
The mask is ready: a magnificent work of art designed by Monika.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
Many questions are now asked, after all, with the utensils that are ready on the table, you cannot guess what is to be made today. “You’ve probably already wondered why we brought you egg cartons today,” says Katharina Antoni, explaining that the flowers for the wreath are to be cut from them. Immediately there is speculation about what to do with this wreath of flowers and where to hang it. “Everyone can decide for themselves,” explains Katharina Antoni. But the boxes can’t stay as white as they are – they have to be painted, Lena notes. Katharina Antoni shows how it should be done and everyone gets a dab of color in the egg carton. The twins take – of course – the same colors “that’s perfectly clear!” explains Monica.
Everyone talks a lot: about work, about family, about holidays
In addition to handicrafts, there is chatter – and a lot. About the caregiver’s children, about the dorm, the christening of Monica’s and Gabi’s niece in the summer, the upcoming carnival party at work. And there is also an exchange about the work. Lena works in Steinhöring and sticks stickers there. Katharina has to do with screws, she says. Gabi and Monica work with wood in one of the workshops in Eglharting.
As soon as the egg cartons are painted, it’s time for a little break. There are cookies and gummy bears contributed by Gabi and Monica’s mother. While washing her hands, Katharina tells us that she likes to visit the Open Work for the Disabled and that she comes often. “I love to dance,” she explains. She also likes to do this in her own room in the dorm. Monica says that she and her sister Gabi live at their mother’s house. “It’s nice there and I’ll stay there,” she says.
After the break, we finally continue. While the egg cartons are drying, the carnival masks are being made. “You can scare everyone with it,” says Gabi Meier. But the twins vehemently shake their heads. They don’t want to scare anyone at all. Therefore, the masks are designed very cheerfully and colorfully. You trace your own hands onto cardboard and cut them out – it’s not that easy to cut exactly on the line. And of course, both a big laughing mouth and a lot of glitter on the masks should not be missing.
More volunteers would be welcome
Since time is short, Katharina Antoni finishes the wreaths of flowers for the participants. “Time always flies,” sighs Gabi Meier and puts the finishing touches on the masks, after all, the elastic band is still missing to actually be able to wear them, Monica notes.
And the creative evening of open work with the disabled is over, at least for now. In the coming months, many more beautiful things will certainly be created in the creative workshop. Everyone is welcome at the open work with the disabled events, including people who do not have a disability. “After all, we work in an integrative and inclusive manner,” explains Fabian Kraemer.
“For us, the volunteers are really very important,” emphasizes Kraemer again at the end. Because not only is it nice for the participants to meet new faces, to create something together and to exchange ideas, but also every volunteer helper is given the opportunity to take something more with him on his life path through the open work with the disabled.