Deutsches Rotes Kreuz Landesverband Sachsen-Anhalt e.V.

The German Red Cross is the national society of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in the federal republic of Germany. With 191 national societies the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the largest humanitarian organisation in the world. The German Red Cross (GRC) is part of this global community, having provided comprehensive aid for more than 150 years for people in conflict situations, disasters and health or social emergency situations, solely based on their level of need. Under the banner of humanity, the GRC campaigns for life, health, welfare, protection, peaceful coexistence and the dignity of all human beings. Approximately four million members are active in Germany alone. The GRC, in its capacity as the National Red Cross Society and the umbrella organisation of the free welfare care system, is committed to the seven principles of the Red Cross; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, the voluntary basis, unity and universality. In its capacity as the National Society and humanitarian organisation the GRC observes extensive national tasks. These include the following; rescue services and first aid, health services (including a blood donation service), aid for the elderly (including care and a visiting service), aid for children, young people and families, a tracking service and the Youth Red Cross. The GRC is also operational worldwide in the field of humanitarian aid - both in acute emergency situations (disaster relief) and in long-term development cooperation projects. The German Red Cross has a federal structure. It consists of the federal organisation (GRC National Headquarters) and its member societies (19 state societies and the nursing association) and their respective member societies (almost 500 branch societies, 32 nursing associations and more than 4.500 local societies). The DRK Landesverband Sachsen-Anhalt is the GRC’s regional association of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. The GRCs regional association of Saxony-Anhalt provides a variety of services and is composed of different departments. The department responsible for volunteer services is one of the states’ largest operating authorities in welfare for national volunteer services. Due to its over 20 years long lasting history of professional expertise and growth, the department provides and coordinates volunteer services for almost 650 people per year all over the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Along the national volunteer services throughout programs like the FSJ or BFD, the department’s goal was always to promote international volunteer services too. Hence, the department of volunteer services has seeked to realize several international projects and cooperations. In early projects from 2007-2010 (“volunteering makes you strong!”; “Amicus”) the department could welcome several volunteers from all over the world. These encounters had a great impact and led to new co-operations and permanent incoming-projects lasting up until now. Since 2014 the GRC’s department of volunteers services in Saxony- Anhalt is fully accredited in the ESC- Program. Thus the department was able to perform both as a hosting- and sending organisation. Regarding ESC’s incoming-projects the department coordinated placements in the following hosting-Organisations in Halle over the past years : “international kindergarten Herweghstr.”, “After-School-Care Center August- Hermann-Francke", the kindergarten "August-Hermann-Francke", GRC After School Care-Center "Bunte Welt", GRC After School Care-Center "Abenteuerland" as well as the “Evangelische Stiftung Neinstedt” (foundation for social services). These projects were realized based on a strong partnership with the British Red Cross as sending-organisation. Since 2020 we intensified the outgoing ESC-projects und were able to develop successful cooperations with for instance the French Red Cross, the Austrian Red Cross as well as “La maison européene” in le Mans (France). The GRC’s department for volunt