Lenggrieser helpers in the Ahr valley: Craftsmen are particularly in demand now

Created: 10/05/2022, 11:00 am

By: Felicitas Bogner

In the villages - like here in Rech - there is still a picture of devastation.

Many homeowners are still waiting for an appraisal.

© Private

Helpers from the Isarwinkel are in the Ahr Valley for the fourth time and are distributing donations.

Now they are reporting what has changed on site a good year after the flood disaster.

Lenggries/Altenahr

– Immediately after the flood disaster in the summer of 2021, numerous volunteers came to the Ahr Valley and joined forces to help.

While the attention and general willingness to help has waned among many, the solidarity with those affected by Anna Dietz and Elisabeth Fichtner from Lenggries and Katharina Aschenloher from Jachenau is still great.

The Isarwinkl trio traveled to Rhineland-Palatinate for the fourth time to help.

With a car full of donations in kind and money, they set off.

"We visited different places over two days and got an idea of ​​where help is needed," says mother of four, Anna Dietz.

But the women were in Mayschoss, Dernau, Rech and Altenahr.

As already reported, the Lenggrieserin organized an aid campaign in which she called for donations from her circle of acquaintances.

"Since our last visit in the spring, we have now collected around 2,800 euros," she reports.

She and her fellow campaigners have now distributed this money in full to local private households.

For example, a young family received 500 euros for work in their basement, which is still wet.

"We've made quite a few contacts since the flood disaster," says Dietz.

"And those people then put us in touch with other people who need help right now."

Women from Lenggries bring donations in kind and money to Altenahr again

Even though the women from Isarwinkl had some things in their luggage - from pasta and flour from the Off Mühle in Sindelsdorf to coffee and socks they had knitted themselves - they noticed that donations in kind are now less in demand in the Ahr Valley.

"There is also hardly anyone who organizes the distribution of donations in kind," reports Dietz.

This was different when she visited in the spring.

They have been in the Ahr Valley for the fourth time since the flood disaster in summer 2021: (from left) Anni Dietz, Katharina Aschenloher, Anni Dietz and Lisi Fichtner.

© Private

Otherwise not much has changed locally.

"We found out that a lot of people are still waiting for their house to be appraised," she says.

"It's a big burden.

Numerous people are still living in temporary accommodation, with relatives or in very small spaces in tiny houses that were built for this purpose.” They long for their old home and more space, says Dietz.

Slowly, however, the first inns would start operating again.

"But of course that has nothing to do with the normal infrastructure of a normal city," emphasizes the Lenggrieserin.

“On a street in Altenahr almost all the houses were empty or demolished, but two inns were open.

But otherwise there was nothing on the whole street, and shops weren’t even open yet.”

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"Since the inflation and energy crisis, the willingness to donate has decreased"

Everywhere you see houses that are being demolished.

"But a lot of people probably have problems with the insurance companies when it comes to reconstruction," Dietz learned in discussions on site.

She noticed positively that a surprising number of tourists were out and about in the area and the nearby vineyards.

"Of course it's a great sign if you support the people and the local economy in this way, although there are currently not many nice things to visit there apart from the vineyards," says the Lenggrieserin.

The journey was once the last of Dietz, Aschenloher and Fichtner.

"Since the inflation and energy crisis, the willingness to donate has decreased," says Dietz.

"In addition, many of our friends and acquaintances have already donated something for our aid project." The people in the affected villages now need craftsmen most urgently.

"And success in the negotiations with the insurance companies," says the 37-year-old.

Even if no further assignment is planned, she stays in touch with some from the region.

"That's how I always find out how the situation is developing there."

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