Help for the people who join in
Stadtwerke Gießen is supporting the Werkstattkirche with a donation of 5,000 euros.
They repair electrical appliances and thus avoid problematic waste, support people in need in the Nordstadt district, organise play, craft and reading activities for children or bring people together for a Sunday lunch - we are talking about the 20 or so volunteers who are committed to the common good in Giessen's Nordstadt district under the umbrella of the Werkstattkirche Gießen. By supporting people in their everyday lives, doing things with them or simply chatting to each other. In doing so, they always pursue the goal of enabling social participation. "The work of the Werkstattkirche cannot be valued highly enough and deserves recognition from all of us. This is exactly what we want to express with our Christmas donation this year," explains Ulli Boos, company spokesperson for Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG).
In fact, those responsible at SWG decided back in 2015 to cancel the usual Christmas presents for business partners and to use the funds thus freed up to support social organisations. Including this year's Christmas donation to the Werkstattkirche, 55,000 euros have already been raised for various good causes.
Converted place of worship
The name Werkstattkirche says it all. This is because the Mitmachmenschen - as the volunteers call themselves - operate from the former New Apostolic Church in Ederstraße. Here, technically skilled pensioners repair faulty electrical appliances every Wednesday between 2.30 and 4.30 pm. "Our repair centre is one of our most important services," says Christoph Geist. He and social worker Bärbel Weigand launched the workshop church 13 years ago and have continued to develop the programme together with their fellow campaigners. The "Supp' un' Schwätze" project was launched at the end of 2022 in cooperation with the Gesamtkirchengemeinde Gießen Nord and the Nordstadtzentrum. Every month on a Sunday, there is an open offer to eat together. In the summer months, this takes place in the courtyard of the Werkstattkirche, where the people involved serve a delicious, freshly cooked soup. However, as the name suggests, there is more to it than just a good meal. "We bring people together and get them talking. That's more important than ever," explains Bärbel Weigand, adding: "Some of our guests are there every time. Due to a lack of money, they wouldn't otherwise socialise. This is exactly what makes "Supp' un' Schwätze" an effective way to counteract the problem of economically induced loneliness."
Dependent on donations
The workshop church receives grants for its work from the city of Giessen and the Protestant church. However, this only covers part of the running costs, such as rent, IT and energy. "The 5,000 euros from SWG are just what we need. We can do a lot of good with it," continues Bärbel Weigand.
Of course, the people involved are happy to receive further support. Anyone wishing to donate can find all the necessary details at www.werkstattkirche.de.