Later call for donations for local poor - senior citizens' advisory board calls for more transparency when using the funds

Created: 12/25/2022, 12:09 p.m

By: Roland Lory

When money is tight, going to the social welfare office becomes unavoidable for some.

© Stephanie Pilick/dpa

The call for donations for local poor has been delayed in Murnau this year.

The senior citizens' advisory board calls for more transparency in this area.

Murnau

- It's a tidy sum that comes together every year when the Murnau market collects for the local poor.

In the past five years, the income from donations has varied between 55,000 and 71,000 euros, as managing director Kreszentia Oppenrieder reports.

This year, the citizens of Murnau had to wait a bit until the appeal was in their mailbox.

The letter from the municipality to the households only went out last weekend.

The reason: "The municipality uses an external service provider here, with whom the implementation was delayed," says Oppenrieder.

help at christmas

Those in need are registered in the Office for Social Affairs and Family.

At Christmas and in the second half of the year, single people get 150 euros, married couples 200 euros and 150 euros per child.

"In addition, an energy cost subsidy of 50 euros for one- and two-person households and 100 euros for three-person and more-person households was granted in the summer of 2022," Oppenrieder said.

Donations at Christmas went to 65 households.

"People in need have to prove their need once a year," explains Oppenrieder.

In addition to the annual donations, the Murnau market also pays out money in the event of special financial emergencies.

This can be, for example, a subsidy for a walker or for glasses.

Those in need could contact the Office for Social Affairs and Family, says the manager.

Plea for suggestion box

Meanwhile, Angelika Pütz-Ollendorff, deputy chairwoman of the Murnau Senior Citizens' Advisory Board, wishes for more transparency at the local poor foundation.

She had already called for this in October at the citizens' meeting.

"Citizens need to know what happened to their money." That's not just their opinion, but that of the Senior Citizens' Advisory Board.

She suggests that the municipality could publish an overview once a year, for example in the Marktbote.

With information on how many citizens have received which amounts.

From Pütz-Ollendorff's point of view, those in need should also know "how to go where".

The Vice Chair of the Senior Advisory Board would also find a kind of suggestion box at City Hall helpful.

"It's more anonymous.

Who likes to go to the social welfare office.”

Pütz-Ollendorff also offers on behalf of the senior citizens' advisory board to support those in need when going to this authority.

You personally have already done that.

"And that was successful."

Also interesting:

Many hurdles for the blind and visually impaired