Support for the Günzburg outpatient hospice service for children and young people
As in previous years, Scheppach is making a donation of €10,000 to the Malteser outpatient children's and youth hospice service in Günzburg. ‘This is a matter close to our hearts,’ says Stephan W. Müller, Managing Director of the Scheppach Group, commenting on the company's social commitment. ‘But we are only making a financial contribution to the extensive and important tasks of the service in Günzburg,’ continues Müller, who has been on the advisory board of the hospice service for a year.
It is Sylvia-Maria Braunwarth, the head and coordinator of the outpatient hospice service, and her fellow helpers, including many volunteers, who have built up an incredible amount over the last few years with great dedication. The Malteser service wants to help, support and be present for families - with the most difficult fates, in their most difficult times, their most difficult hours. To this end, the carers are available to the families around the clock. While in previous years it was mainly families with terminally ill children and adolescents who were supported, today it is also young families who are confronted with the sudden death of a parent. Suicide cases in particular have recently affected families and made life almost unbearable for the children and the bereaved parent. Sylvia-Maria Braunwarth and her team have recognised this and are currently looking after a number of cases in the region. Caring for grieving families is a psychological challenge. This task requires constant training in order to bear the burden of saying goodbye together. To this end, the Malteser Service organises various seminars for all helpers. But also for relatives to learn how to deal with death and grief. Another of Sylvia-Maria Braunwarth's extensive projects is the animal-assisted accompaniment of seriously ill children and young people or siblings saying goodbye.
The ‘Seelengrübchen’ in Glött with its Icelandic horses was created for this purpose. An idyllic location which, in combination with the positive charisma of the horses, can heal the wounded souls of those in mourning. Christine Strasser-Harr and her partner Erwin Reitmeier have created an oasis of peace and reflection here. And both of them run the ‘Seelengrübchen’ with great passion and dedication. ‘I hope we can also gain further supporters of this important institution in the district,’ says Müller, ‘both on the financial sponsor side and, even more importantly, on the active helper side.’
