Alumni meeting: Caritas anniversary in Neustrelitz inspires generations

Alumni meeting: Caritas anniversary in Neustrelitz inspires generations

Last Saturday a touching alumni meeting was celebrated in Neustrelitz to mark the anniversary of the Caritas Jona day group. This facility, which has been offering children a safe place to arrive and grow up for 30 years, opened a whole year full of emotions and gratitude. Former children who are now adults, as well as former employees, came together to reminisce and exchange stories. Brunhilde Holm, one of the first people involved in setting up the day group three decades ago, was also among the guests.

The facility manager, Daniela Meier, emphasized the special atmosphere of the meeting, which was characterized by warmth and joy. She describes that it was a valuable opportunity for the former children and colleagues to leaf through the old photo albums and reflect on the experiences that connected them. A colleague even traveled from Hamburg specifically so as not to miss this special day.

A place of development

The Jona day group is generally viewed as a vital place where children are not only safe, but also have the opportunity to simply be children. The past thirty years have been marked by looking back at the many successes and positive developments that the children have made during their time at the facility. The perspectives that have developed over time were also intensively discussed at this meeting.

Similar alumni meetings are also very popular elsewhere. For example, a meeting recently took place to mark the 20th anniversary of the Addiction Therapy Association in the districts of Altenkirchen, Neuwied and Westerwald. Organized by the Caritas addiction counseling service in Betzdorf, around 170 former patients took part in this celebration. Specialists, psychotherapists and social workers were also invited to reflect on the development history of this important help system and to shed light on the collaboration between professional helpers and self-help groups.

Community of ideas and memories

In Betzdorf the focus was not only on looking back at the past few years, but also on the need for solid cooperation between everyone involved in the field of addiction rehabilitation. Dr. Hollenborg gave an insightful lecture on the clinical perspective of addiction, while the musical accompaniment by the region's Caritas choir created a special atmosphere. Such events strengthen the community and show how important mutual support is.

In conclusion, it can be said that both the Jona day group in Neustrelitz and the addiction counseling services in the upper district make a significant contribution to accompanying and supporting people in crisis situations. The exchange between former users and experts not only creates a feeling of connection, but also new perspectives for the future.

For more information about Caritas events and offerings, please visit Strelitzius and Caritas Betzdorf.