Ahlen – Ex-banker Wolfgang Prange would like to use his knowledge in dealing with finances in a meaningful way even in retirement. That is why he supports Caritas once a week in accompanying debtors.
He is new to Caritas – and yet an “old hand”. Wolfgang Prange understands this exactly as it is meant: as a compliment. Just now, at almost 63, the ex-banker looked for another challenge and found it.
Officially retired for a few months, he has strengthened the team of the social association in a previously vacant position and enriched the range of help with an important function: once a week he supports debtors, helps people in financial need and, in the best case, also out of this need. He does this on a voluntary basis – and he takes this term very seriously.
Months ago, on the threshold of retirement, Wolfgang Prange was certain: “Waiting for lunch and dinner alone after breakfast is not enough for me.” During his professional life, money was his topic – until 1981 at a bank in Duisburg , then with a professional pension scheme in Düsseldorf. His clientele: “People who have made good money; and I have advised her on the investment and in the last few decades with regard to the pension, and I was on the sunny side of life myself. ”At the end of his professional life, television debt adviser Peter Zwegat opened his eyes for the bitter downside. Prange’s spontaneous decision: “That would be something for you.” Parallel to the private change of location from Moers to Sendenhorst, he first called the Warendorf district – without success. The second call to Caritas in Sendenhorst went better: There he was referred to the headquarters in Ahlen. And there, department head Hermann Wetterkamp reacted just as spontaneously to the spontaneous application: “You can start with us immediately.”
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Since then, Wolfgang Prange has been on board with Caritas. And now in great demand: as a debtor escort – and officially not as a consultant, a function that is legally part of the Diakonie. Nevertheless, the cooperation is on the right track – in cooperation for people in need. Prange’s mission: “To straighten out the budget for clients so that they can finally see land again financially.” To do this, he switched sides again, so to speak – from the sunny side to the dark side. His challenge: to help people out of a crisis that they can no longer find out on their own. Frequent example: “People have three small loans on their cheek – for car, furniture and vacation. And because they can no longer serve them, they turn to a loan shark and take out the fourth loan. An endless spiral. “Then, according to Prange,” we need pilots like me “. That means: open conversation with a trusted bank, consolidation of the current loans into one, extension of terms, agreement of sustainable installments that still leave room for life. And above all: “Above all, get rid of the often far too high and far too expensive overdraft facility credit.”
Wolfgang Prange’s most important experience after only a short time sounds negative at first: “I was and am still shaken by how great hardship and how difficult it can be to live with this hardship.” For example, when a client who has to live on basic social security benefits comes to him and is simply helpless. “He has a new notification in the mailbox and should understand it. A piece of paper that is quite complicated even for me as a finance professional. ”Such a decision can also be wrong. And it is not uncommon for two authorities to be involved instead of one: “If they don’t work together directly, things get even more complicated. And the weakest link is always the client. “
The new voluntary job opened Wolfgang Prange’s eyes to a form of irresponsibility that he was not aware of because of his job. “There are people at telephone companies, for example, who sell other people contracts with which they will only increase their distress in the foreseeable future.” A late satisfaction for the troublemaker Prange: “I wanted to help, now I can help.” He is also himself dependent on help: “Whoever comes to me can and should trust me. And put everything on the table that led to his misery, without false shame. And then we tackle it. Together.”
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