Project "Voluntary sighted accompaniment": Further volunteers needed to accompany blind and visually impaired people
Community foundation invites you to an information event on Tuesday, 2 October, 3 p.m., at the volunteer centre - please register in advance
For the "Volunteer Sighted Companions" project, further volunteer companions are needed who have empathy, an interest in dealing with people, motivation and, above all, sensitivity and warmth for this special activity. The Chemnitz Community Foundation therefore invites interested parties to an information event on Tuesday, 2 October at 3 pm at the Volunteer Centre, Reitbahnstraße 23 in Chemnitz.
Pre-registration: In order to plan the number of places available for the information event on 2 October 2012, please register in advance by calling 0371/5739446 - the contact person is Anja Poller, Bürgerstiftung für Chemnitz.
The project was initiated and publicised by the Bürgerstiftung für Chemnitz with the support of the City of Chemnitz Social Welfare Office at the end of last year (PM 907 of 19 December 2011 and PM 66 of 6 February 2012). The volunteers involved in the project support blind and visually impaired citizens in coping with everyday tasks, thus enabling them to participate more fully in life in the community. As there is still a need for companions for the blind and visually impaired, more volunteers are needed. Four people from Chemnitz currently work regularly as volunteer sighted companions in the project.
With the information event, the initiators would like to expressly encourage interested citizens to support the important project as volunteers and sighted people. According to Anja Poller from the community foundation, the experience so far has been that blind and visually impaired people who wish to be accompanied in this way receive significant support in leading an independent life in their familiar living environment. This also means a better quality of life. The frequency of the accompaniment depends on the wishes and possibilities and is agreed individually between the companion and the user. The sighted companions help blind and visually impaired people to cope with everyday life in their living environment, accompany them on walks, visits to the doctor and authorities and small shopping trips. The tasks of the companion service are therefore clearly distinct from housekeeping or care.
Contact for interested parties and queries:
Bürgerstiftung für Chemnitz, Anja Poller - Head office: Reitbahnstraße 23 a, 09111 Chemnitz, contact: phone 0371/ 5739446, e-mail: info(at)buergerstiftung-fuer-chemnitz.de