Providing help where it is needed

In November and December 16 restaurants and cafés in the Oberägeri and Unterägeri will be serving coffee with special coasters advertising the services of the Aegeri Valley Neighbourhood Help Scheme.
 
In fact the organisation has ordered as many of 30,000 of them in order to draw people's attention to the service. In this way, those who need help, or their close relatives, as well as possible volunteers and sponsors interested in supporting this not-for-profit organisation, will know whom to contact. All its says on these coasters is, "Doing something good together, here and now," along with the website address and bank account number.
 
Those who already help in the scheme do so voluntarily but donations are required to keep the scheme going, for example for the IT and printing services needed for administration as well as further training for volunteers.
 
The scheme has actually been operating in the Aegeri Valley for the past 14 years. In 2013, some 30 volunteers helped out on no fewer than 600 occasions. What doing? All sorts of things. For example just going along to have a chat with someone or accompanying them on a walk. It is all really about helping members of society in what may seem a small way but which is very important to those concerned. What has been so good is that some people who have called up needing help in some respect have gone on to help others.
 
Anyone who is interested in help is kindly asked to contact Edith Büttiker at the Reformed Church Centre in Mittenägeri on 041 750 88 70, or download the website on www.nachbarschaftshilfe-ae.ch for further information.