FMT in partnership with The Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT) brings you Covid-19 “healers” from Germany.
Kerstin Schürenberg, Philipp Schönauer, Paula Müller and Sophia Reiss are volunteers from the Community of Sant’Egidio.
Founded in Rome in 1968, the community has around 60,000 members in 70 countries, 5,000 of which reside in Germany.
The German chapter, headquartered in Würzburg, is dedicated to charitable work, diplomacy in civil war areas, and inter-religious dialogue.
Germany’s lockdown led to the closure of many public structures used by the needy and homeless, as well as schools and retirement homes. The four volunteers immediately responded with several initiatives.
Food distribution, which had existed for years in many cities, were transformed into food distribution “to go”.
As soon as regulations allowed, a new “Sunday Canteen” was opened in Würzburg where young adults and teenage volunteers provided almost 80 homeless and needy people with warm meals.
In addition to food, the Canteen also provided information about Covid-19 prevention measures, free face masks, and conversation for those lacking social contact in the city.
Paula and Sophia started a home-schooling initiative for children from socially disadvantaged families. To make up for lost learning time and to give children something organised to do over the summer, “summer schools” were held in Cologne, Berlin, Munich and Würzburg.
For a week or two, children studied with their older “friends”, played games and went on excursions — always in compliance with hygiene precautions.
The Community of Sant’Egidio in Rome, Italy, is a movement of lay people and has more than 50,000 members from over 70 counties dedicated to evangelisation and charity. The different communities, spread throughout the world, share the same spirituality and principles that characterise the way of Sant’Egidio: Prayer, which is an essential part of the life of the Community in Rome and Communities throughout the world. View its profile here.
‘The Other Hundred Healers’ is an initiative by the non-profit organisation GIFT. The 240-page, full-colour, hardcover book can be purchased here at US$40 per copy for a minimum order of 20 copies.
