Municipal action plan: Health café offers families support and guidance
05.12.2025
With the action plan against child poverty, Offenbach's city councillors adopted a comprehensive package of measures in the summer that aims to specifically improve the social participation of children, young people and their families who are affected by poverty or otherwise disadvantaged. One component of this is the monthly health café for families, which invites people to talk about health, everyday family life and prevention in an open atmosphere. It is implemented by the volunteer center and the integration and health guides docked there in cooperation with the youth welfare office and the health department.
Mayor Sabine Groß visited the program last Wednesday and experienced for herself how lively and valuable this place is for the 20 or so regular participants. "Studies show time and again how much poverty affects mental and physical health. This is why the health participation of families is a central field of action in our action plan, so that we can strengthen them and open up paths to good health care for them," said the mayor.
Mayor Sabine GroßI am impressed by how warm and open the encounters here are and how many practical suggestions the families can take away and contribute themselves.
The course is led by Renate Schulte-Spechtel from the volunteer center. "We talk about healthy eating, exercise and topics from everyday family life - we always pick up on the interests of the participants," explained Schulte-Spechtel. This time, for example, the topics on the agenda included cell phone use and breakfast in the morning. There are also information tables with materials on advice centers, specialist services and prevention services that can help in everyday life. "The German healthcare system is complex, especially for new immigrant families. We want to take the hurdles for them and explain what services are available and how they can be used effectively," explains Schulte-Spechtel.
In February, the health café will also launch the culturally sensitive workshop series "For my family and me". In simple language, close to everyday life and without judgment, the participants talk about topics such as fears and stress, life between cultures, mental health and new ways for everyday family life
The health café takes place every last Wednesday of the month from 3.30 to 5.30 p.m. on the premises of the fan project, Luisenstraße 61. Contact by email at lotsenfzofde
Background
The city provides 150,000 euros annually for the implementation of the municipal action plan against child poverty. The first measures, which are being implemented under the leadership of the Youth Welfare Office with numerous committed project partners, were launched in autumn 2025. To coordinate the action plan, the city also receives funding from the Hessian state program Präventionsketten - Gesund Aufwachsen. Living children's rights. The health café service originated from the state project "WIR fördern Gesundheit" (WE promote health), through which five volunteer "health guides" were qualified for the pilot project of the Offenbach Volunteer Center.