The past few months have been extremely challenging for Lebenshilfe Freising.
We are all the happier that normality is returning.
Freising
- It was a very difficult balancing act during the peak phase of the pandemic, as Monika Haslberger, the chairwoman of Lebenshilfe Freising, emphasized - namely between protecting people with disabilities and their need for society.
Currently, it can be seen that a lack of therapies and, for example, the closing of the workshops have in some cases led to individual regression.
According to Haslberger, the fact that Lebenshilfe survived the Corona crisis well was mainly due to one thing: the huge commitment of its employees.
(By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)
The pandemic was difficult for everyone, as Haslberger emphasized at the Lebenshilfe annual general meeting - also for parents whose children with disabilities either had to stay at home or could no longer be visited in living areas.
“It was really tough,” said Haslberger in retrospect.
Social life with its festivities had also come to a complete standstill, as did working in the workshops at times.
Work in the workshops came to a standstill
"That was very painful," as the director of the Isar Sempt workshops, Albert Wittmann, recalled. But his first thought would also have been: How can we resume operations as quickly as possible? Wittmann was combative and worked out hygiene concepts in order to be able to bring people with disabilities back to their workplaces. Because he quickly noticed that his employees were suffering a lot and that they really wanted to go back, which then worked with shift work, for example.
The good news: From next Monday everything will run as usual in the workshops.
The few who have not been vaccinated are not excluded; sufficient distance has been ensured.
"With us, nobody is separated, but integrated where they belong," emphasized Wittmann.
What was also very important to him: The staff was not sent on short-time work, so that full wages could always be paid.
Space is running out in the education center
On the other hand, there are problems with the spatial situation in the education center.
Because space is becoming scarce here.
As managing director Michael Schwaiger explained, there are currently 200 students in 22 classes.
Alternatives are currently being sought, and the city is also in talks and trying to find a solution.
It was economically difficult during the pandemic, especially for the early intervention centers, and all facilities in the child and youth sector were fully utilized.
Another problem that tends to be: a shortage of personnel and skilled workers.
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They steer the fortunes of Lebenshilfe: (from left) Monika Haslberger (Chair), Robert Wäger and Beate Irmer (both 2nd Chair) as well as Gerhard Beubl, Rudolf Heinz, Manuela Mühlhammer, Kathrin Tamm and Petra Würzinger (all assessors).
© Lehmann
To counteract this, Lebenshilfe is now also providing training and has set up a qualification program for assistants. A change in the statutes also resulted in something else being tied down: Michael Schwaiger is getting a full-time deputy in the management team, Johannes Reicheneder, who has been with Lebenshilfe for 20 years. From now on, both want to share the different areas.
On the other hand, there were hardly any changes in the election of the new board of directors: Monika Haslberger was again unanimously elected as chairwoman and Robert Wäger and Beate Irmer were again elected as deputy chairmen.
Due to a change in the statutes, there are now six assessors: Gerhard Beubl, Rudolf Heinz, Manuela Mühlhammer, Kathrin Tamm, Angelika von Müffing-Tietscher and Petra Würzinger.
In the future, the cash auditing will be carried out by an auditing company.
In 2020, the income and expenses of Lebenshilfe amounted to around 31.5 million euros - so there was no balance sheet profit.
For Wäger, the association can make a good start into the future, especially with "Miss Lebenshilfe" at the forefront, as Wäger emphasized.
Richard Lorenz