Michael Schanz will soon be on his way again – from Taufkirchen to the east, through Austria and Hungary, a good eleven hours and more than 1000 kilometers, to Peretschyn in the Ukraine. Last year he drove eight times to the 7,000-inhabitant town in the Western Carpathians, always at the wheel of a van loaded to the roof with relief supplies. Sometimes it was washing machines and refrigerators, sometimes a ton of flour and clothing, sometimes heaters and emergency generators. And always a few thousand euros in donations. In mid-March, Schanz is expected to bring chairs to Ukraine that were discarded at the elementary school on Dorfstrasse. The 69-year-old says they are needed for the air-raid shelter in Peretschyn. Because there the children would have to be taught as soon as sirens warn of air raids. Schanz will report on his experiences and impressions this Tuesday, February 28, from 7.30 p.m. in the side room of the Taufkirchner Culture and Congress Center. Admission is free.
Now Peretschyn is not in the war zone, but the need there is great, says Schanz. The place has taken in thousands of internally displaced persons; moreover, much of the vehicles, money and medical supplies to support the armed forces have been brought to the front. “The situation is incredibly depressing,” says Schanz. “It’s unimaginable for us.”
Through his job at the Munich adult education center, for which he managed the Buchenried house until he retired in 2015, he came into contact with the Bayerische Ostgesellschaft (BOG) back in the 1980s, says Schanz. The association has been involved in Ukraine for decades and has initiated various aid projects in the region around Peretschyn. Since the outbreak of war, the BOG has increased its commitment; she regularly organizes aid transports with monetary and material donations. “We have an intensive and guaranteed corruption-free network there,” says Michael Schanz, who has been on the board of the association since 1994. This ensures that the help reaches those in need directly.
Support for Peretschyn is now also coming from the Taufkirchner town hall. At the request of the SPD, of which Schanz is a long-standing member, the municipal council unanimously voted in favor of a solidary partnership with the Ukrainian town. “That’s a great signal,” said Michael Schanz happily. “The community can help us in many ways.” The Taufkirchner is certain that the people in Peretschyn will need support for a long time to come.