German-Volunteer-Project

The German Volunteer Program, an International-Intergenerational program, was born in 1999 when Albin Gospos, a friend of a friend, contacted Gayle.  Albin a young man living in Germany had the idea that volunteering in a senior center would be a great experience.  Since all young men in Germany must either go into the Military or do Community Service (volunteering) after secondary school, and since Germany does not have senior centers as we know them, it only stood to reason that he would have to come here.  And so he did and so the U.S. German Volunteer Program for Senior Centers was born.

In 2000 the Heart of Senior Citizen Services and World-Horizon (Albin’s company) formed a partnership to provide young men from Germany, Albin being the first, the opportunity to complete their Community Service requirement in lieu of Military Service here in the United States and in Senior Citizen Centers.

The Krapohl Center (founding center) has been the home of five German Volunteers.  Albin Gospos (2000-2001); Sascha Arnold (2001-2002); Wolfgang Ihloff (2002-2003); Rocco Strauss (2003-3004); Chris Matzke (2004-2005).

	Albin Gospos 2000-2001 Albin’s focus while serving here at the Krapohl Center was to develop World Horizon, the German counterpart of the German Volunteer Program.  Albin also assisted in the initial development of the A-Clic Computer Program developed by the Krapohl Center through a grant from SBC Ameritech.
Sascha Arnold 2001-2002 Sascha developed the first website for the Krapohl Center in addition to writing computer class outlines for A-Clic.  In addition Sascha spent many hours helping seniors with Project Fresh applications, starting the weekly pool tournaments and generally helped around the center on whatever needed to be done.
	Wolfgang Ihloff 2002-2003 Wolfgang further developed the A-clic program, creating new computer classes, networked all the computers in the center and kept the computers maintained.  Wolfie an accomplished musician on the recorder also gave several performances once at Christmas and for the Center’s 15th Anniversary.
Rocco Strauss 2003-2004 Rocco started right off jumping into the Senior Winter Games, helping to plan and even hosting a couple of events.      Rocco added to the A-clic computer programs and created several computer slide presentations about and for the center.
	Chris Matzke 2004-2005 Chris brought a new level of enthusiasm to the center.  He has redesigned the center’s website between teaching computer classes, and meeting with and training several seniors to be additional computer instructors.  Chris also has educated the seniors about Germany through hosting an Oktoberfest and teaching German language classes.

Host families needed:  If you would like to make a home for a Krapohl Center German Volunteer please call Gayle at 785-2270.   If a year is too long for you to take in a boarder try three (3) months.

Since the beginning of the German Volunteer Program 15 German Volunteers have come to the United States, primarily Michigan.  Senior centers other than the Krapohl Center who have become part of the program are; Grosse Pointe Senior Services MI, Oceana County Commission on Aging MI, Cheboygan Commission on Aging  MI, Grand Rapids,  MI and Whiteside Senior Center in York, PA.