There is great solidarity with those who have lost their entire existence in the past week. Many people help with the tidying up or initiate large and small relief campaigns. Including young people from Bergisch Gladbach.
Jan Burbach is overwhelmed. The 24-year-old would not have expected that in his life. But his spontaneous call on social media to make donations in kind for people affected by the storm at the meeting point in St. Nikolaus in Bensberg or to make food purchases possible with monetary donations spreads like wildfire in no time at all. In any case, his concern develops an astonishing momentum of its own far beyond the local borders.
“I did not expect such a response,” admits the boy scout leader. There are now five and a half thousand followers registered on Facebook alone. Many of them want to participate or they praise the student’s initiative. On a flyer that he designed on the side on Monday evening in order to achieve a higher range, he gives his mobile number for possible inquiries. “A mistake,” he laughingly regrets three days later. “I can hardly save myself from phone calls. The doorbell keeps ringing. Most of them want to know how they can help and what we still need. The good thing: People think the idea is great and are happy to do something specific for the victims of the flood be able.”
Take responsibility and act yourself
Jan is studying rescue engineering in the seventh semester at the TH Köln and is a member of the board of the DPSG scout tribe Ommerborn. He would not have thought it possible that such a dramatic emergency would challenge him in this way during his training. And it annoyed him how he reports that even five days after the devastating flood disaster with widespread devastation in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, no youth group from his immediate environment has become active or even the smallest initiative has come from these ranks .
Although he is in the middle of the preparations for an important final exam, he thinks that in view of the disturbing images of desperate and traumatized people you have to act and not just stand by and watch. Or wait for someone else to take responsibility. Without further ado, he communicates what he is planning on the Internet. Himself is the man, is his motto. And soon he has friends in the management team on his side. In the group, they immediately agreed that an operation with two vehicles and the bare essentials in their luggage can be carried out this weekend. Now everyone lends a hand, developing ideas on how the plan can be implemented logistically and who takes on which part.
Holiday taken especially for scouting activities
The joint appeal of the Bensberg scouts sets a lot in motion. On two consecutive evenings, drinking water and non-perishable food can be delivered to the community’s meeting place, as well as head torches or flashlights, generators including fuel, pumps and hoses, shovels, brooms, scrubbers and buckets, camping stoves, gas bottles, hygiene articles of all kinds, rubber boots , sturdy shoes and work gloves. Everything that the flood victims need most and what is specifically asked for. Within a very short time, drinking water pallets, piles of toilet paper, toothbrushes, shampoo or practical devices that are used to help clean up in the crisis areas where the infrastructure has been completely destroyed are actually piled up here.
Well over 100 people came to the meeting point on the two evenings, the scouts are visibly satisfied. “For us it is awesome to see that people are reacting that way and that our action is drawing in this circle,” says Marie Schwamborn enthusiastically. “That far exceeds our expectations. However, even among us leaders, nobody had to think twice about whether they would actually help with this aid transport.” It was a matter of course for everyone to get involved in this project. Some even took their own vacation for it, others now invested their vacation days.
Find out about the appeal for donations via WhatsApp group
There would also be support in the team from the scouts from the neighboring Refrath. You want to join the Bensbergers. This signal was also not long in coming. First of all, three days of work are planned, says Marie, then you see further. “We don’t even know what to expect.” The fact is, however, that they can now supply many more people with these many things than initially thought, says the 21-year-old happily, while she sorts the sausage cans with the pickle jars and the toast with the cornflakes packets.
And supplies keep coming. It’s coming and going. Evelyn Psoch arrives fully loaded at the meeting point and unloads what she quickly found in her own pantry: mainly canned goods, pasta, rice, but also practical things such as rubber boots, garden hoses, two petrol cans and a tow rope. “And I put my tip, which I got yesterday as a waitress, on top for refueling,” explains the Franconian forester. She and her friend found out about this appeal for donations through the WhatsApp group of the carnival society “Für uns Pänz”, she reports, and immediately put together useful items for the transport to the Eifel. The couple have work colleagues who are particularly badly affected by the emergency and have lost all their belongings in the huge mass of mud. The two find it “terrible and unimaginable”. “What I have, I am happy to give it away,” says the woman in her mid-fifties and calls out to the scouts encouragingly: “I keep my fingers crossed for you, have a good trip and good luck!”
The goal is the completely flooded wine village of Dernau
Sylvia Sprenger also got the message via WhatsApp and brings several bottles of disinfectant and buckets over. She also leaves a cash donation for the young people. She received this post ten times through very different channels and was already thinking about how to best help, says the 56-year-old. “I’m an old boy scout myself and I think it’s great that the Bensberg scouts can now set up such a project within a few days.” With this she speaks Michael Puddle from the soul. Heidkamper explains that he has just come from a dm store and has bought pampers, milk powder and baby food. “How good that someone thinks about that too,” comments Rebecca Loosen gratefully, who on the post of “Springer” is there that evening wherever someone is needed for the surprisingly extensive deliveries of goods. She emphasizes that the local companies are also all on board. The REWE store in Wintgens in Bensberg, for example, provides fresh fruit and vegetables, the OBI and Bauhaus hardware stores provide tools, brooms and shovels, and the Holz Richter company has a van. “It’s great that they support us all,” she says.
“Even if we are used to setting up our holiday camps for 100 children and young people, this is clearly another number,” explains Jan Burbach, while he starts up the generator for a test run and counts the petrol cans provided. In order to get to his destination as quickly as possible, he wants to start early the next morning with a team of 15 from Bergisches to the Eifel. They would initially be expected in a neighboring town of Dernau, a formerly idyllic wine village between Bad Neuenahr and Ahrweiler that had been completely destroyed by the floods.
Prepare warm meals on site
In the vicinity of the affected area, a neighborhood aid has been set up, to which there is a contact and which wants to offer its labor a few kilometers further, reports Jan. As a local, they want to lot the young people through the sometimes impassable terrain. “I hope this helps to bypass the roadblocks. Because of course it would be counterproductive if we had to wait in line for a long time with our food and could not bring it directly to those affected. After all, we guarantee that our help will arrive. “
“Because people trust us – even when it comes to donations – and know that they are in good hands with us,” confirms Claudia Bellin. “Since we also want to prepare warm meals on site, it is important to have financial leeway and to be able to buy what is still missing from it.” Large saucepans and roasting pans, which were regularly used at the Whitsun camps, were already part of the equipment of scouts.
All donations reach those affected one-to-one
The trained bank clerk has taken on the task of cashier and is happy to be part of this assignment. “The pictures of the last few days are tragic, shocking and moving,” she says. That doesn’t leave you indifferent. That is precisely why what they are now planning is a completely new challenge for everyone.
“At first I didn’t know how I could do something on my own. Now I’m grateful to be able to lend a hand as part of such a large group.” And if something is left of the generous donations, she argues, the money will be passed on to the next team of helpers. Excess donations in kind, which may not be immediately available to the man, would all find a sensible use, assures organizer Jan Burbach. “Nothing is free or lost.” Everything comes one-to-one with those who don’t see any prospects at the moment and don’t know how things will go on for them in the next few days and weeks.
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