On the occasion of "International Volunteer Day", the city of Offenbach paid tribute to the volunteers from the projects of the Offenbach Volunteer Center on Wednesday evening in the Bernardbau. On Remembrance Day, which is officially celebrated on December 5, the city of Offenbach expresses its gratitude for the voluntary commitment of its citizens. The evening event is dedicated to a different focus topic every year.
In his speech, Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke emphasized the indispensable importance of volunteering for living together in Offenbach: "At our ceremony, the focus is on people whose voluntary work has a positive impact on other people. They show that even in a hectic world, mindfulness and responsibility for others have a firm place. You do not loudly describe the problems - you take action. I would like to thank you very much for that." This attitude also stands for a view of life that is an expression of a strong sense of community.
The Offenbach Volunteer Center (FzOF) was founded in 2002 as a non-profit association and has since developed into a permanent institution. It strengthens volunteering and social cohesion with a wide range of projects. These include projects such as "AusZeit" to relieve the burden on family carers, senior citizens' cafés and the "Spaziertreff" to combat loneliness, the "Offenes Ohr Offenbach" project and the "Begegnungsinseln" for respectful exchanges in public spaces. The learning buddies also help children and young people to learn. The integration guides - FzOF's largest project - help people with visits to the authorities and with everyday German. Health guides promote the health literacy of people with migration experience, and the rickshaw project enables older people or people with limited mobility to travel to places that would otherwise be difficult to reach.
Schwenke also praised the volunteer center as a reliable partner in times of crisis: "With its network expertise, the volunteer center provided rapid assistance during the high influx of refugees in 2015 and 2016, as well as at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and after the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Ways were always quickly found to support affected people through the involvement of volunteers."
Managing Director Sigrid Jacob retires at the end of the year
Another highlight of the evening was the farewell to Sigrid Jacob, who has managed the volunteer center for almost two decades and will be retiring at the end of the year. The Lord Mayor expressed his thanks for her commitment to the city community: "19 years full of dedication, ideas and enthusiasm is an impressive time in which you have always put people and volunteering at the heart of everything you do," emphasized Schwenke. "Anyone who works in an institution for so long and changes it in such a lasting way leaves their mark. Under your leadership and in cooperation with the association's board, the volunteer center has become a success story and a reliable partner for the city administration, which is the envy of some municipalities."
As her successor, Monika Pröse will take over the management of the volunteer center from her own team. Dr. Schwenke expressed his conviction that she will continue the work seamlessly and powerfully.
The ceremony was opened by the City of Offenbach's Volunteer Officer, Manuel Dieter. Musical accompaniment was provided by Brian Junker-Latocha on the guitar. Ulrike Happel and Sabine Scholz from the Bleichstraße 14 H project made humorous and cabaret contributions. At the concluding buffet, the guests took the opportunity to talk about their experiences and adventures as volunteers and bid farewell to Sigrid Jacob.
"Today's event is also a sign that we at the town hall see and value your commitment. Of course, we know that there are many other people in our city who spend a lot of time volunteering. These ideas, this time and this energy are indispensable for the functioning of our society and you all play a decisive role in preserving and further developing cooperation and coexistence in our city," Schwenke concluded.
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