SOCIAL

The self-help contact organization "Kiss Mittelfranken" has created a platform for digital communication in the corona crisis called Kiss.On. (In German, "Kiss" is short for "contact information for self-help"; the group operates in Central Franconia, a region in Germany). For it's IT infrastructure, Kiss.On relies on a donation from Hetzner Online. The company has provided up to 100 of its Storage Share instances for the organization to use for one year almost free of charge. This allows self-help groups to use Kiss.On to have virtual meetings.

"Health and medical data is sensitive and must be specially protected. Thanks to the support of Hetzner Online GmbH, Kiss Mittelfranken now offers a secure, virtual alternative to other communication platforms such as WhatsApp. With the Storage Share based platform Kiss.On, it is possible for people throughout Central Franconia to connect with each other on a wide variety of topics", said Kiss Mittelfranken Managing Director Gabriele Lagler.

Self-help is very important. No one knows this better than the people at Kiss Mittelfranken, which has worked for 40 years to provide contact and information centers for self-help groups in Central Franconia. By exchanging experiences and support, the people who use self-help platforms get the emotional support and motivation they need. It provides practical life help for these patients, and for their families and support groups. As Gabriele Lagler put it: "Joint self-help makes you stronger."

You can find more information about Kiss Mittelfranken at https://kiss-mfr.de/englisch/ and technical details about Hetzner Online's Storage Share packages at https://www.hetzner.com/storage/storage-share

Hetzner Online is showing its support for the St. Josef daycare center in Gunzenhausen by donating 100 children's safety vests. The daycare plans to use these on daily outtings and fieldtrips to help keep the kids safe. "In addition to the kids being safer in traffic, the vests also help the teachers keep track of the kids because they're easy to spot," said Christoph Jäger, from the parents' association, who was thrilled about the financial support from Hetzner.

This is an exciting adventure that we are happy to be a part of - so Martin Hetzner about the youth emergency shelter. The "Diakonische Werk Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen", with Hetzner Online as a partner, has organized this project which offers a temporary bedroom for homeless and/or troubled youth in Gunzenhausen. The emergency shelter is meant to help 18-to-25-year-olds who need a protected space in which they can rest. Hetzner Online provides the space free of charge.

One project that is particularly close to our heart is the outpatient hospice association located in the region around Weissenburg and Gunzenhausen. For the last twenty years, 45 volunteers have been escorting patients in need in the hospital and at home. Their main goal is to improve the quality of life for these patients right up to their last moments.

The charity group provides a variety of support. They remain with patients who are about to take their final journey, they relieve relatives who have been caring for patients, and provide counseling for people with questions on palliative care. The group is not connected to any specific religion or ideologies; it's independent and open-minded. The two main staff memebers also work to raise awareness for their charity's services. In addition to that, all volunteers complete a 6-month training course before they start their duties. And they receive more training and guidance as they continue their work.

The charity provides a "last-aid" course for family members and friends who have been taking care of terminal patients, and who want to be there for their loved ones at the end. In addition, the group holds exhibitions, concerts, and lectures to further spread their general message: "Be there for each other!"

Check out their German-language website for more information:
https://www.hospizdienst-af.de/

Image: Volunteers giving a music concert with small harps