Stadtwerke Gießen is supporting the Central Hesse Regional Association of Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e. V. with a donation of 5,000 euros.
From traditional rescue services to caring for the sick and elderly to childcare - the Central Hesse Regional Association of Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e. V. (JUH) offers a wide range of social services in the region. Around 550 full-time and volunteer employees look after people who need help every day. "What St John Ambulance does deserves recognition from all of us," says Ulli Boos, company spokesperson for Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG). "That's why we have decided to make our traditional Christmas donation to the St John organisation in the Central Hesse regional association." For a number of years now, SWG has deliberately refrained from giving Christmas presents to business partners and donated the money saved to social organisations. Since then, the donation has always totalled 5,000 euros. "We can always make very good use of a donation like this," says a delighted Marco Schulte-Lünzum, full-time Regional Director, "It is not only monetary support for our projects and facilities, but also a great sign of appreciation for our work. We would like to thank you very much for this!"
Main task of the rescue service
In fact, there are plenty of opportunities for the Johanniter to put the money to good use. The regional association currently operates nine locations between Langgöns and Marburg, including the new regional office in Buseck as well as two daycare centres, two social care centres and a daycare facility. There are also eleven rescue centres in the districts of Giessen and Marburg-Biedenkopf as well as in the Vogelsberg district. Three of these - in Ilbeshausen-Hochwaldhausen, Lich and Grünberg - function as 24/7 emergency medical centres.
In addition to these relatively well-known fields of activity, the Central Hessian Johanniter also operate in more exotic niches of the rescue sector. For example, they maintain a volunteer rescue dog and motorbike squadron and provide a rapid response team for disaster control. In addition, the Johanniter regularly provide volunteer medical services, making numerous events possible in the first place - such as the well-known "Menschen für Kinder" charity bike ride, the Whitsun motocross in Beuern and many other events in the region.
Since September 2024, the local St John Ambulance has been involved in a pilot project that is unique in Hesse - the Giessen Medical Intervention Car (GiMIC). This specially equipped vehicle enables highly qualified, specialised medical staff from the university hospital to reach people with life-threatening injuries or illnesses extremely quickly. This significantly increases their chances of survival. The pilot phase will run until November. And if the GiMIC proves successful, the project will be extended.
Excellent care
Another major area of Johanniter's work is caring for senior citizens. The staff at the social centres in Buseck and Marburg provide outpatient care. This means that they care for people in their own homes and thus in familiar surroundings. At the day care centre in the heart of Buseck, the motto is "Together instead of alone". In fact, the care team here provides its guests with a pleasant, varied day out - including optimum care and medical treatment. By the way: no matter how and where - the medical service of the health insurance companies has given all Johanniter care facilities for the elderly in Central Hesse top marks. And to enable people to lead a self-determined life in their own home into old age, Johanniter offers its emergency call systems. They can be used to call for help quickly anytime and anywhere.
Support in many situations
Johanniter employees do not always lend a helping hand. "Some of our services are more about counselling and emotional support," adds Miriam Julia Feuerstein, Press and Public Relations Officer, Marketing & Communications. For example, St John Ambulance offers an outpatient hospice service and various support services for bereaved people. They advise relatives of dementia sufferers and visit single people in need of help. To keep them company and counteract their loneliness to a certain extent. A transport service for people with limited mobility, for day care guests and for schoolchildren who need a little help is also part of the services offered by the Johanniter in Central Hesse.
Teaching to help
In order to counteract the shortage of skilled workers and thus be able to continue offering the various services in full in the future, the Johanniter in Central Hesse are focussing on the area of training: "We ensure that we have our own young talent by training emergency paramedics, nursing staff, healthcare assistants, warehouse logistics specialists and educational specialists," explains Miriam Julia Feuerstein. The Johanniter keep their employees up to date with a whole host of internal seminars. And there are numerous first aid courses on the training programme for non-professionals.
In the training sector, the Johanniter can boast something special in the region: a specially trained team that is able to organise realistic training scenarios. For example, with dense smoke, corresponding noise and deceptively real made-up accident victims, who are absorbed in their role and demand everything from the colleagues being trained. It goes without saying that the team has every conceivable situation in its repertoire: from a large-scale exercise involving an explosion at a mass event and dozens of seriously injured people to the classic fall from a household ladder or a deep cut with a carving knife to a heart attack or stroke.
Almost exactly two years ago, the Central Hesse regional association of JUH opened its first daycare centre in Alten-Buseck, the "Ritternest". Daycare centre number two - "Die Glücksritter" - followed in Langgöns in May 2024. Both facilities each offer space for a maximum of 62 children aged between ten months and primary school entry.
Actively helping out
Without donations, the regional association of Johanniter Mittelhessen would not be able to maintain its extensive range of services. That's why the helpers appreciate every donation. The Central Hesse St John organisation provides all the important information on its website. The relevant page can be easily accessed via the following short link: www.stadtwerke-giessen.de/spende-johanniter(www.johanniter.de/mittelhessen)