20.12.2024 | Interviews
Today we´re talking to Frank Twardy. He has been a volunteer with Malteser since 2017. In this interview, the 58-year-old tells us how he came to join Malteser International, how the collaboration between younger and older colleagues works, why volunteering reminds him of rock’n’roll and how it can perhaps help against loneliness in old age.
Mr Twardy, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us today. Let’s start at the beginning, how did you come to join the Malteser organisation?
Hello! I´ve been with Malteser emergency service for 24 years now. However, not all of that time as an active member, but as a passive member, a sponsoring member so to speak. And how did I first come to join Malteser? My parents were mainly involved. My father was also an active member of the emergency services during his lifetime. Also with Malteser International. He often took me with him on his missions whenever possible.
So you have been with Malteser for 24 years, but when did you become an active member?
Since 2017, after both my parents passed away. Then I started in the visiting service for Malteser, helping lonely people. Elderly people who may no longer have any relatives. I went outside with them and we had a chat. I then picked them up from the care home. One lady, for example, could no longer go out on her own because she was not as mobile anymore. And as long as the weather was reasonably warm, we packed up the wheelchair and went to Tegeler See to go for a walk and talk.
However, the lady passed away at the age of 93. She was in a care home during the coronavirus crisis which was not that easy. The care homes were more or less sealed off. And then I thought to myself: would you like to continue the visiting service? Or perhaps get to know new fields? Because I´m interested in medical things, technical things and social areas. Being a Malteser is not only about emergencies, it has different components. Finally, I ended up in the care service. The care service is all about looking after casualties at the scene of an emergency. And looking after the emergency services, the fire brigade, the police and the other emergency services. You´re an interface.
What exactly does that mean? Looking after the emergency services?
Looking after the emergency services means being able to provide a meal, drinks, tea or hot soup if necessary. We´re not talking about one hour’s work of the emergency services here, but a much longer period of time.
What do you think is the best thing about volunteering?
What is the best way to describe it? It is a combination of many things. Firstly, perhaps being able to pursue your own interests, but also being able to help when you are needed. You also have the opportunity to be flexible. Volunteering does not mean you have to help. Or you have to take part in all events or all assignments. Instead, you can. Everyone helps as much as they want to. You can contribute a part of yourself according to your personal skills and interests without having to invest any financial resources. You can learn from others or from your missions and experiences. But you can also take part in further training – even digitally. I also wanted to pursue an activity with a Christian and humanitarian background. And Malteser is a Christian organisation. What else counts? Team spirit. Humanity. Togetherness. New challenges. Getting to know new topics. Practising and training together.
So really also the collegial aspect? On the one hand, the aspect of the new challenge and further training opportunities, but on the other hand, the aspect of sharing?
Absolutely. Let me put it this way: volunteering brings people together. You have the same goals despite often having very different personalities. That makes it exciting. Never being alone, that’s what the Malteser motto says: ‘Because closeness counts’. You help each other and not just yourself, instead you´re also there for the community.
And in which situations do you notice the solidarity of the Maltesers the most?
First and foremost in real-life operations. The first thing you look at is: how can we help? What is the situation? What resources are available? What resources are already tied up? Who is available at all? I think that requires a great deal of mutual help and willingness.There are also regular group evenings where we can exchange ideas and socialise. Of course, we talk a lot about the voluntary work here, but also about private matters. Joint events are organised, including on special occasions. An anniversary, for example. There is also a Christmas party, with a corresponding Christian mass, where everyone comes together. There is also an annual kick-off event with the presence of the Bishop of Berlin. There are many opportunities where you do not have to be alone and can socialise.
And if one person in the team isn’t feeling well, are you there for each other?
Yes, for example, I once had a situation where help was needed from my circle of friends. I did not know how I could help at the time either, but then I was able to use my Malteser contacts and asked: Hey, who could help or name contact points. And they then supported me. That´s great, this networking. And you´re really not alone.
Volunteering brings many different people together, including people of different ages. There are younger and older colleagues at Malteser – how do you experience the interaction with each other at Malteser?
As part of my professional training, I learnt that younger and older people can work together. I associate it a bit with the music scene. I’m not talking about ‘the older ones’, but about the ‘stars’. They take the newcomers on stage with them in the supporting programme or in the middle programme to give the newcomers the opportunity to make progress. It’s a bit like that with the Malteser. The environment is also a bit like music, like rock ‘n’ roll: from totally relaxed, spending a Tuesday evening together to rock ‘n’ roll in a mission where everyone is challenged. That’s roughly how you can describe it.
When you’re on a mission, you’re usually not travelling alone. How many of you are always on duty?
That varies greatly. There are usually at least two of us on the road. But that depends on the services – what is required in the services. So, if you take major events, it’s not just Malteser that are requested, but actually all the aid organisations that are available. At the European Championships, for example, all organisations are asked to help if possible. There is also a lot of cooperation because you have to organise yourself together. But that always works well.
What is the approximate age range of the team members you often work with?
That’s very interesting, because Malteser already offers the opportunity to join as a school paramedic at the age of 16/17. Of course, you have to be of legal age for certain activities. And from there, anything is possible: from 18 to around 65 – that’s a broad spectrum.
You just said that their collaboration is like rock ‘n’ roll. The stars take the newcomers on stage with them. Is it a case of the younger ones learning from the older ones? Or is it sometimes the other way round?
It’s also the other way round. That’s why I deliberately didn’t want to talk about the older ones, but rather about the stars, because I may be older personally, but I also learn from the younger ones. And younger people can perhaps learn other things from older people or gain experience. So, it’s by no means a one-sided approach.
Are older colleagues deployed differently to younger colleagues or do they take on different tasks?
In fact you have the opportunity to choose jobs that are a little less physically and mentally demanding than, for example, emergency rescue. For example, in the care service, where you´re more between the situation and the emergency services. In the care service and visiting service, for example, you can still help at 65, or in neighbourhood assistance or refugee aid.
When do you think someone is too old to volunteer?
I don’t think there is an age limit. It all depends on your personal judgement – how young you are at heart. And how long you can and want to do it physically and mentally.
You are still working at the moment. What do you do for a living?
I’m a banker.
So, a completely different direction. There’s a gap, especially for people who retire. So perhaps the desire arises to use the new free time in a meaningful way. Have you ever experienced something like this in your environment?
I can only really say for myself: yes, it’s an issue that goes through your mind. You think that if one day you don’t have to work 110% of the time in your main job, you’ll have more time available at that stage of your life. And how can you make good use of it? This is definitely an issue that I´ve also considered personally and where I think: yes, volunteering is a meaningful task – out of interest and enjoyment of the cause. It probably won’t take up 100% of my time if I also have another hobby or something similar. But it is quite conceivable for me that it will continue to take up a larger part of my time later on.
When people retire or later find themselves in a care home, many are unfortunately affected by loneliness. This is especially true when social contacts also dwindle due to the loss of a job. The children may also have left home. Do you think that volunteering can help combat loneliness?
Yes, definitely. I believe that if you can give joy yourself, a certain amount of joy comes back. I recently spoke to an elderly lady by chance on the public transport. She had approached me and told me that she was a fully qualified ward sister. And that her husband had died three years ago. And I then asked her if she had the training, wouldn’t she like to do something somewhere in the area of support? Then she told me: maybe that’s not a bad idea.
We spoke briefly earlier about the fact that volunteering brings a lot of different people together, young people, older people, but also completely different personalities. So do you think that this might also cause conflicts? Or that it can also be an advantage that you get to know people you wouldn’t otherwise have met?
Definitely. It’s really exciting to get to know people who think differently. As far as hobbies and interests are concerned, there are very different directions, for example IT or water sports. And also professions: from electrical engineering to project work, IT projects to education, children, school – there’s everything. You can see that not everything runs smoothly everywhere in society. There are rough edges, problems and hurdles to overcome everywhere. And you can see that every sector has its own special features, but there are also similarities somewhere.
Now, if I want to join Malteser, how does it work? Where can I get information, where can I register, who can I talk to?
For example, you can call the offices, including the head office, and ask. For example, the Volunteering Department. There are also information brochures about the different areas where you can find out more in advance. You can take a look at the Malteser website: What do they actually do? As I said, we do everything from the school service to the dog squadron. So much is possible, from refugee aid, care services, visiting services, neighbourhood help, integration to hospice. And you’re not forced to say: I’m going into one area for ever and ever and then you’re stuck there. No, you also have the opportunity to say: now I want to do something else. And an honorary position can also be handled very flexibly. It doesn’t mean that you have to do so many hours a month in a year, but that everyone can do what they can and want to do. What everyone is willing to give of their time.