URFAHR environment. The Red Cross in the Urfahr area expected that Corona would still be a fixed factor in 2022. However, the additional tasks caused by the Ukraine war came as a surprise, as district office manager Paul Gruber, district manager Peter Haslinger and Silke Pachinger, member of the district rescue command, summed up in the annual review.
“At the beginning of 2022 we had the feeling that we had learned how to deal with Corona and that everyday life was slowly returning,” reports Gruber, “but then February 24, 2022 came. People were fleeing, the energy crisis and the consequences of inflation direct impact on our areas of application. Within a very short time, an emergency shelter was set up in Hellmonsödt to provide care and support for a few days. The 75 people seeking protection were able to recharge their batteries here, move from here to longer-term accommodation or continue their journey.”
Social markets are booming
The number of shopping entitlements in the Red Cross stores has gradually increased due to this, but also due to the tense financial situation of some people, and has more than doubled compared to January 2022.
The demand for first aid courses was enormous in 2022. Refresher courses in particular are in high demand. The number of “Meals on Wheels” portions is also impressive: 80,049 meals were delivered to the 539 clients.
For the Red Cross Youth, 2022 was a veritable year of departure after the forced break. In the group lessons we did handicrafts together, laughed and practiced first aid.
222,646 volunteer hours
“Regardless of whether they are professionals, volunteers, civil servants or job-finding interns – everyone is committed, know-how and passionate about the matter,” reports district manager Haslinger. “222,646 volunteer hours are documented, but I know there are many more. Lots of tasks are simply completed without recording them.” This is the only reason why the many areas of activity can be maintained: rescue service, emergency doctor service, testing, vaccinations, disaster relief, mobile care and support, family doctor emergency service, meals on wheels, Red Cross markets, visiting service, Day care center, first aid courses, training and further education, call help, blood donation service, crisis intervention, ROKO visits to kindergartens, reading promotion and youth Red Cross activities.
Well-filled schedule
The schedule is already full. Ten elections are on the program, the election of the district office committee and nine local office committee elections. The Walding branch is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and is organizing the Austrian medical aid competition together with the Red Cross Academy. JRK competitions and the Landes-Jugendrotkreuz-Kamp are also already fixed, and the Kirchschlag local office will open the extension of the day care center and an additional garage on July 1st. The District Youth Red Cross, local branch manager Othmar Weber and his team from Altenberg are again collecting bicycles for Burkina Faso on Saturday, April 15, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at all district offices.
Source: Nachrichten
