Schwerin (dpa/mv) - Together with the German Red Cross (DRK), the Ministry of Social Affairs in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania wants to advertise volunteering in the state at the 15th volunteer fairs next week. "Visitors should discover an interest in volunteering," said Minister of Social Affairs Stefanie Drese (SPD) on Tuesday in Schwerin. Between October 18th and 22nd, the series of events will take place digitally on the "www.ehrenamtmessen-mv.de" platform under the patronage of Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD).
According to the President of the DRK state association, Werner Kuhn, there is a lack of committed helpers, especially in civil defense and disaster control: the Red Cross has an estimated need of 250 people on standby, which corresponds to a quarter of the required forces.
Among other things, due to the lack of opportunities for personal contact - both between the active members and in the context of advertising events, for example in schools - one has lost capacity in recent years, according to Kuhn. In the youth section of the DRK, membership numbers in the north-east have plummeted from 2,000 to 1,500 young people in the last year alone.
However, this was not always the case: The Minister of Social Affairs emphasized that the number of volunteers in the state as a whole, including in the area of clubs, had grown steadily in the last few decades up to the beginning of the pandemic. According to a survey, the proportion of volunteers in the population rose from 28 to 38 percent between 1999 and 2019.
Despite the decline in recent years, volunteers were required in many places during the pandemic and also in refugee aid. According to the DRK President, the challenges in his own area of responsibility - in clinics and care - could not have been shouldered without this support.
Drese and Kuhn therefore emphasized that a jolt is now needed to get out of the pandemic low. The week of action is intended to contribute to this. Both made it clear on Tuesday that the series of events should take place again next year. However, the Minister of Social Affairs also wants to continue using digital platforms in order to be able to offer a permanent range of information beyond the week of action.
