“I can’t introduce myself to any landlord like this, or apply for a new job.” – “Please have some groceries in the fridge so I can come over the weekend.” – “You can’t reach me. The old cell phone is defective. I am even more isolated from the outside world due to Corona! I have to write applications, leave my contact details for apartment inquiries.”
The people who turn to the housing emergency aid of the Arbeiterwohlfahrt (Awo) in the Munich district with these statements often fail because of everyday and practical problems. Because things have to be done quickly in these cases, Awo has set up a “cash register” from which you can easily take money. The charity was able to do this with the donation of the Advent calendar for good works of the Süddeutsche Zeitung refill last year.
“Huge mountains of unprocessed construction sites” were dragged around by the people who turn to the emergency housing aid, says its director, Stefan Wallner. “Your strength is no longer enough to solve the problems, you quarrel with yourself.” Corona has additionally isolated certain social classes. “At some point the house of cards collapses and you stand there powerless,” said Wallner. The Emergency Housing Aid provides around 1,700 initial consultations every year, takes care of desperate people looking for a home and the homeless who are housed in accommodation.
Norbert Gerstlacher coordinates the self-help groups for alcohol addicts at the Blue Cross.
(Photo: Claus Schunk)
In addition to the pedagogical technical advice, the cash register helps to give a little motivation to take the first step again and to start into a better future. You can provide the means for quick, uncomplicated clothing for a small amount in the Awo second-hand department store in Klawotte, or you can purchase prepaid cards for cell phones and tablets for devices that are loaned to clients.
You can quickly provide an amount for a birthday present for the child of an indebted single parent from the cash in hand, purchase a used rollator so that a person affected can go shopping again. Often a grant is given to paint and brushes so that the apartment can be painted. There is transition assistance if nothing is left of the first wage due to debts. Cartridges are bought so that applications can be printed, help with electricity bills is provided, there is support for small amounts to offset rental debts. In the previous year, flowers and a poor burial organized by the housing emergency aid were also paid for from the cash in hand – for someone who had no one left.
The SZ advent calendar was also able to help the addiction aid association Blue Cross Munich with a donation. The aid organization offers numerous voluntary self-help groups in and around Munich, some also in the Munich district, including Oberschleißheim and Unterhaching. The pandemic with its lockdowns was a major challenge for addicts. So some relapsed, with others the addiction in the home office was only noticed, which had previously remained hidden. The association is therefore grateful that it was able to use the money to expand prevention work and self-help work for adolescents and young adults as well as for relatives.
“Fortunately, we were able to expand both areas and establish new self-help groups,” says Norbert Gerstlacher, spokesman for the addiction aid association. Three for relatives, a new group for teenagers in hair. According to Gerstlacher, it took a little longer than initially thought. One of the reasons was that the pandemic made the situation more difficult in all areas of self-help. Groups could only be operated to a limited extent, and group leaders had to constantly adapt to new conditions. “Despite all the adversities, we were able to set up these groups, which we are very proud of,” he says. At the right time, they were able to expand their offerings with it. “The inquiries in the coordination office have increased exorbitantly in both areas since the beginning of the corona pandemic.” Thanks to the donation, the association was able to print flyers to publicize the newly founded groups.
According to Gerstlacher, the donation will also be used for the monthly usage fee that the new youth group in Haar incurs for the rooms in the Route 66 youth culture center. Many of the planned actions for more external impact were not possible for the association due to Corona. But he hopes to be able to catch up on this in 2022. “The donation gave us the opportunity not to have to fall back on our free funds for the actions mentioned and for those that had to be postponed until 2022,” says Gerstlacher. The donation “is and was a very, very big help on the way to being able to put our most urgent concerns into practice”.
