In Wartenberg, neighborhood help is facing major problems with its accounting system. The old system must now be changed to protect the volunteers.
Wartenberg - The neighborhood help in the VG Wartenberg faces considerable difficulties: After accidents occurred during missions in another neighborhood help, it has emerged that the accounting system cannot be maintained in the old form. Treasurer Peggy Giuliani said that it is imperative to avoid that the volunteers' performance is offset by a monetary amount. Otherwise, according to the board member in the general meeting, it is an employment relationship, in an emergency even an employment relationship with all legal consequences.
The board has already reacted and adapted the forms to the new legal situation. The problem can now affect all neighborhood helpers. The insurance company that jumped in during the accidents had raised the alarm because it can only do so if the voluntary status of the members is beyond doubt. That is why the neighborhood aid must react to protect their volunteers, said the cashier.
The first attempt to organize a flea market failed miserably due to the weather. The offer of neighborhood help for the holiday program was also not particularly well received, reported chairman Heike Schwaiger. Nevertheless, the year 2019 was positive for the first time in many years. Donations amounting to 1330 euros were essential for this, but also grants that came from the municipalities of Wartenberg and Berglern.
Neighborhood assistance has worked 401 hours in the past year. The lion's share is taken care of by senior citizens at 336 hours. In Berglern there were only twelve hours, in Langenpreising 101. Wartenberg, which is also known to be the largest community in the catchment area, is there with 288 hours. Neighborhood Aid currently has 80 members. 19 of them are active. The rest are supporting members, some of whom pay 200 euros a year in membership fees. The regular contribution to neighborhood assistance is ten euros.
When asked by the home newspaper, chairman Heike Schwaiger added that the number of members is currently increasing. According to the report by Vice Pierangolo Sartini, the neighborhood aid plans to be more present in the communities so that it might get a little more. For example, we think of an office hour in the community center in Wartenberg, our own events, a revision of the website, but also an offer as part of the holiday program.
The statutes must be revised internally. In future, invitations and other things should be sent electronically, if possible, in order to save administration costs. But that and much more must be regulated in a changed statute. The board will present a corresponding draft to the next general meeting.
The annual program naturally includes the presence at the Christmas market in Berglern. The members already touched the advertising drum. At least there was an interjection: “That was fun!” After all, nowhere is it written that working with and for neighborhood helpers should not be fun.
In contrast, the subject of Gabriele Schäffler's lecture was serious. The social worker gave a lecture on "Neglecting children" and thus contributed to the further training of the members who appeared in the well-filled adjoining room of the pizzeria on Prisostraße.
Klaus Kuhn
