The annual citizens' festival, organised by the Office of the Federal President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, took place, this year, from 8 to 9 September. The festival was held in the park of Bellevue Palace, in Berlin, under the motto "Connected".
Heike Gelke, from the Adventist Welfare Work (AWW) Neighbourhood Centre in Görlitz, was one of the three thousand invited guests who contribute to a vibrant civil society with their outstanding voluntary work. She received this invitation, in particular, because of her ongoing commitment to helping refugees and her integration work.
In his opening speech, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier praised his guests as role models and encouragers who stand for the many and who ensure the cohesion of society on a daily basis: "I wish that we would show you, that we would show all these people who put themselves out there for others, that we would put all these people in the spotlight even more, that we would show them even more strongly at this time and say even louder: Our country remains a country of humanity and public spirit! A country in which the dignity of every individual is respected and protected! ... Yes, these are difficult and challenging times. But they are not times for retreat and bragging, not times for resentment and cantankerousness! It is a time for cohesion!"
The AWW circle of helpers "Hand und Fuß" was founded in 2011 by Heike Gelke. The circle of helpers supports the neighbourhood centre "Lebensschule Görlitz" with diverse projects that bring people together - across generational, origin, cultural or ideological boundaries.
The Federal Office and the Saxony Regional Office of the Adventist Welfare Association as well as the leadership of the Adventist Church of the Berlin-Mitteldeutsche Conference congratulate Heike Gelke on this tribute and are sincerely grateful for her great, diverse and effective commitment.
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