His community service is now over, but he still remains a volunteer for the Red Cross in Braunau: Mert Özdemir.
Because he wanted to help people and be there for them, he decided to do community service with the Red Cross. Özdemir’s parents came to Vienna from Turkey when he was young, and the young Turk ended up in Braunau because of love. He began his community service with the Red Cross by training to become a paramedic. He successfully completed the theoretical and practical training and also passed the board examination. Nothing stood in the way of community service. “Unfortunately, in addition to an incredible number of wonderful encounters, I also experienced negative things,” reports Özdemir, “simply because my family comes from a different culture.” That’s just not fair. “Experiencing this during a transport, i.e. while you are helping the person, takes a lot of energy,” emphasizes the helper. But he didn’t give up and didn’t let the joy of helping get taken away from him.
“You can’t please everyone”
“You can’t please everyone – but I still want to be there for everyone who needs us,” he says.
It is emphasized that the Red Cross helps indiscriminately wherever help is needed. No matter what culture people come from, they will be helped and many of them would help others, the Red Cross confirms in a press release.
Anyone who wants to strengthen the Red Cross team can train to become a paramedic. The next course in the Braunau district begins on February 26th and is offered as evening and weekend training.
More information and registration options are available by calling 07722/62264.
