Keywords: Stagii de voluntariat EVS

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We are a social-therapeutical, autonomous living community for handicapped (we call them: See-len-pflegebedürftig - in need of care of the soul) and non-handicapped people. Living together is basend on the anthroposophical pedagogique by Rudolf Steiner and related principles of living in a village by Karl König.

ACTIVITIES:

Today 110 so-called mentally handicapped people and 80 staff members lilve here in six family-like living communities in Höhenberg, 30 of them stay in three living groups in our new home Remel-berg (since 2004). Furthermore we have an independent living group in the neighbour village and also an accompanied living group. For couples we offer individual support in own flats.

We are a licenced workshop for handicapped people (WfbM): candle- and textile workshop, carving workshop, choroi (making musical instruments), bakery, dairy and have an own farm and grocery, both working on the principles of biological-dynamic agriculture (Demeter) and a group that caresfor nature. Our clients are supported according to their needs and produce own products.

Apart from the following therapies, work is important in our clients' lives:

- therapeutical horse-riding

- music- and arts therapies

- ergo- and physiotherapies

- speech therapy

- gymnastics according to Bothmer

- Presselmassage

- healing eurythmics

We also offer job-finding seminars financed by the German Labour Office (Agentur für Arbeit).
The food we produce is partly used by ourselves, partly sold in our shop and taken to houses in the "Höhenberger Ökokiste" or to shops selling naturally grown food.

Apart from work there is time for leisure, cultural and spiritual offers, fitness and other kinds of cour-ses are provided. We also go on excursions and spend two weeks of holidays together in summer.

Our inhabitants are treated according to the anthroposophic medicine.

A social service accompanies all those who are part of the life in Höhenberg.

SURROUNDING:

Höhenberg is situated about 30 km to the south of Landshut and about 65 km in the north-east of Munich. The village is surrounding by an agriculturally dominated area. In Höhenberg itself there live about 200 people. In 10 km distance there is Schwindegg which offers a good train connection to Munich and Landshut.

EXPERIENCE:

We have participated in EVS since 1999, mostly three volunteers at a time and can look back at mostly good experience. Some volunteers prolonged their time here by doing a FSJ (Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr). So far, one Future-Capital project has been realized, a second one is to start soon.

REGULATIONS IN OUR LIVING COMMUNITY:

We celebrate religious feasts (e. g. a kind of mass on Sunday, special kind of meditation on Satur-day in the evening in the houses ) and rituals (praying before having a meal, daily morning circle). Everybody decides for himself whether to participate or not. The same goes for the volunteer.

MOTIVATION:

Apart from participating in EVS for five years now and the thus gained experience, we want to continue our work in international teams. Impulses from other cultures have enriched our community very much: "fresh air", different ways of looking at things, etc. This goes for volunteers as well as international "FSJs."

ROLE OF THE VOLUNTEER/LEARNING POSSIBILITIES:

The volunteer supports our work in living groups as well as in the workshops and is an additional "staff" to our main staff.

The volunteer has the possibility

- to get an insight into different areas

- to get an insight into work and therapy with handicapped people

- to inititiate own projects

- to work and live together with people with different backgrounds

ACTIVITIES DONE BY A VOLUNTEER:

The volunteer can support our main staff in all the areas mentioned above. Wherever he is, he will be an additional motivator, mate, friend.

Volunteers can be active in different ways: organize walks with individual inhabitants. In workshops (especially textile and candle) he can realize own ideas, together with our clients. Small wordshops, e. g. dancing, painting, English, theatre are possible as well. A performance/exhibition at our summer festival is a stage where to show what has been done throughout the year.

According to the wishes and interestes of the volunteer, he will work in a workshop or in a living community, or both.

Ideally the volunteer has a basic command of German. A driving licence allows a much more flexible handling of work and private life.

With regards to the co-operation with sending organizations, we have no preferences.

Volunteers who need more support can be hosted. However, this must be clarified in advance. We then would offer more tuition hours, also in co-operation with VIA e. V. and probably more lessons in German. As we live in a rural area and are in very close contact to each, social exclusion hardly ever occurs.

Deadline: 2008/08/25