The VdK Planegg-Gräfelfing welcomes its 1000th member.
In doing so, he has consolidated his continuous influx in recent years.
Other VdK local associations in the Würmtal are only partially happy about a boom.
Planegg/Gräfelfing
– Regina Kings, the newest member, is enthusiastic about the warm welcome from the long-standing VdK chairman, Peter Kirschning, who presented her with a bouquet of flowers. "It was so nice and personal," says Regina Kings. You can feel that the focus here is still on the individual, Kings continues. That is noticeable, especially in times when respect for one another and humanity have receded into the background.
A friend had recommended the VdK to Regina Kings.
"He was himself competently represented in a recent pension case," says Kings.
"Then I looked for the nearest local branch on the Internet and came across the one in Planegg." For her, who is still in the middle of working life, membership is currently purely precautionary.
Although, as she reports, she actually needs advice on a case regarding her health insurance.
"Even if I should never seek advice from the VdK, I just feel that I'm in good hands." The certainty of being able to get help and legal advice at any time for a very small monthly fee, six euros, is very reassuring.
Largest social association in Germany
Every first consultation is free of charge with the largest social association in Germany. Each additional ticket costs 15 euros. The VdK supports people in questions of care, such as the classification of the degree of care or a disability, as well as with applications for a disability pension. With 2 million members, the VdK is the largest social organization in Germany. After the Second World War, the abbreviation VdK stood for the Association of War Invalids, War Survivors and Social Pensioners in Germany.
If things are going well at the VdK in Planegg-Gräfelfing, Adolf-Dieter Storch, as chairman of the local association Krailling-Pentenried, would like "a few more members".
The number of members here has been solid at around 350 over the years, but has not increased as much as would be good for the association, Storch sums up when asked.
He now hopes to be able to hold the annual general meeting, which was postponed from 2019, with new elections at the end of the year.
He himself will compete again.
The Gautinger VdK local association, on the other hand, has seen an increase in the number of members, reports its chairman Heinrich Bunte: "Every year between 20 and 30 people are added." A good 15 years ago the number was 270, currently there are 466 members.
So a good development.
Emergency folders and regulars' table
Bunte sees itself only as an intermediary. The consultations themselves would be handled by the district office of the VdK. He therefore regrets a bit that he hardly has any decision-making options and laments the gradual anonymity in relation to the members, which has been reinforced by Corona.
Peter Kirschning from Planegg cannot confirm that.
With him, the local association Planegg-Gräfelfing has a very dedicated helmsman on board.
He tirelessly beats the drum for his VdK, takes care of his members with specially created emergency folders and also organizes a monthly regulars' table in the parish hall of St. Elisabeth or lectures on inheritance law and living wills.
Kirschning knows that many older people feel lonely, which is why he organizes city tours and hiking trips for them and others.
Regina Kings is already looking forward to the first meeting in May - when Corona allows it again: "I'd love to go there." She would like to thank Peter Kirschning earlier for the warm welcome as the 1000th member - with a homemade cake .
Caroline Hoegel
