Long-term loyalty: Caritas volunteers honored for 25 and 50 years
Rheine.cpr. At an atmospheric celebration in the chapel room of the Caritas House, three people were honored for 25 years and one person for their 50 years of voluntary commitment to Caritas Rheine. In his welcoming speech, Caritas board member Dieter Fühner thanked the volunteers for their many years of commitment. “You bring your optimism, your belief in people’s abilities and your experience to your volunteer work,” Fühner said.
Elke Zeitner, specialist service manager for community charity, led through the rest of the program. The celebration was musically accompanied by song contributions, performed by Elisabeth Nagelschmidt, employee in the housing counseling of the Caritas Association, who already let symbolically “rain red roses” with her first song and got in the mood for the honor.
The respective honorary officials held the laudation and described in very personal, moving speeches, with how much heart blood and personal commitment their honorary officials are in the employment. Beate Kloos (soup kitchen and deanery Caritas conference) as well as Hermann Schnoor and Tuula Herrmann (both ecumenical outpatient hospice) were honored for 25 years of commitment. Heinz Thalmann, as Santa Claus, has 50 years of honorary service in the Dreikönigs kindergarten, among others. For this very special “loyalty” Thalmann was awarded the Caritas badge of honor in gold.
Further 16 honorary workers of Caritas Rheine are honored this year by their respective honorary work escorts in their operational areas and mechanisms.