With the brochure “Herzlich Willkommen”, the Helferkreis Migration in Lohr presented an information booklet that should make it easier for migrants to find a new home in the city of Lohr. Ten important subject areas are listed here in six different languages, which enable newcomers to orientate themselves in an everyday life that is unfamiliar to them. For each topic, users will also find a QR code that leads them to other addresses, information and explanations of various questions on the Internet. The Helferkreis and Caritas would like to make it easier for migrants to start a new life here and at the same time signal to them that they can count on great support for a new start in the city of Lohr and in the region.
Marcel Brunner, the asylum officer of the city of Lohr, had the idea for this extraordinary brochure. The theme concept was developed with the support of the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences. A first draft was worked out in German and, at the same time, a digital version was offered on the homepage of the city of Lohr. For the printed brochure, the support of Ulrich Genheimer and his company G-Medien could be won, which through their commitment, besides other sponsors and the commitment of many volunteers, made it possible that the brochure could be developed, designed and financed entirely through donations.
Volunteer translators
When Ruth Emrich, Marcel Brunner and Joachim Salzmann agreed to take over the editorial coordination, the next task was to find volunteer translators for the articles in an additional five languages (Arabic, Turkish, Russian, French and English). Mario Paul expressed his special thanks on behalf of the city of Joachim Salzmann, who had taken on the coordination in the helpers group.
The mayor thanked all volunteers, educational institutions, associations, clubs and the city administration, who all contributed to the fact that such a comprehensive range of information could be put together in this brochure. It is a “valuable contribution to making Lohr a cosmopolitan and livable place for all people regardless of their origin in the future”. In this way you can do a lot to ensure that people with and without an immigrant background meet on an equal footing and in dialogue.
Central topics dealt with
Central topics are dealt with in individual steps in the brochure, such as which offices and social institutions are available for the most urgent questions. In the area of education, for example, it is about the possibilities of childcare and integration assistance that are offered for children. Also important is the topic of language promotion in VHS courses through other voluntary initiatives, for example in the St Michael parish home or in the youth center.
The question of where you can live and when you have to look around on the housing market yourself also plays an important role. For many, it is very important how the state supports a migrant in looking for work and livelihood or what the health system does in the event of illness. You will also find a lot of tips and suggestions on how to spend your free time in clubs and other social institutions, use regional transport or which religious offers you can take advantage of.
Lighthouse function
According to Florian Schüssler, Managing Director of the Caritas Association Main-Spessart, the brochure “Herzlich Willkommen”, which is only available in this form for Lohr, has a lighthouse function for the district and it was published precisely because now the allocation of migrants in the district is taking place again to. It is quite conceivable that other cities in Main-Spessart will also take an example from this project. In Lohr, the brochure can now be found in many public and social institutions that migrants visit for initial contacts.
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