AWO is fighting for survival: New board wants radical new beginning!

AWO is fighting for survival: New board wants radical new beginning!

The AWO district association is on the abyss! On Saturday a new district board was elected in the Lohr meeting place, and the newly elected chairman, former SPD member of the Bundestag Heidi Wright from Karlstadt, is in the middle of a dramatic struggle for survival. The pressure is enormous because the number of members stagnates and the organization has to struggle with a shocking aging. Instead of the earlier 547 members, there are now only just under 450 - this has been a decline of around 20 percent since 2019!

Wright pulled a clear line: "So far we have not managed to involve fresh people." The Situation is alarming, because two local associations, Triefenstein and Marktheidenfeld, have already disappeared, and the Hafenlohr/Windheim association is simply described as "non -existent". Compared to only three active local associations: Lohr with 197, Kreuzwerheim with 98 and Karlstadt with 76 members. Despite this gloomy location, Birgit Bernhart, however, reported good news: the cash register is filled, and the delegates granted those responsible for 2023 the relief. A clear ray of hope in an otherwise cloudy picture!

The departure into an unknown future

Wrights departure usually also has its dark side: a term of four years exceeds the comfortable introduction to many board members, which is why an intensive work phase is now going on for the next two years. "It is called work, work, work!" Said Wright. But the pressure grows. The question of whether the AWO will have to celebrate a glorious new beginning in two years or to be handed over to the district association float in the air. The board agrees: a strong AWO is essential for the social cohesion of society. But not only that: The lack of skilled workers also make the ambitious construction plans for a shared apartment for seniors in Lohr appear like a distant hope.

While those responsible come together to design their strategies, the long-time district chief Karl-Heinz Ebert, of which everyone tells prominently, becomes a legend. Wright assures that his tireless efforts will never be forgotten. A decisive chapter for the AWO is imminent - the question remains: Can this new board of directors tear around the rudder before it is too late?