Steinmühle Spreads Love 180 Times – Even the Mayor and HR Are Impressed

It all started with a simple idea: shared joy is double the joy!

The students at the Steinmühle boarding school have also noticed that these vital resources derived from social relationships are currently difficult to access due to the COVID-19 measures. Adolescence is supposed to be characterized by diverse social relationships that can play a particularly important role in the developmental process; however, the many opportunities for social interaction are currently severely limited.

Boarding school educator Francine Olschewski also noticed this growing desire for social interaction and connection among the students at the Steinmühle boarding school. And so the idea was quite simple: By doing something good for others, you might also be doing something good for yourself in the process. From this simple idea by the educator emerged a successful and promising collaboration between the City of Marburg’s “In Würde Teilhaben” project and the Steinmühle boarding school community.

Small Ideas with a Big Impact

The City of Marburg’s project aims to improve the subjective well-being of elderly and very elderly people who are lonely and living in isolation by establishing contact with them. During the run-up to Christmas, surprise packages—known as “encouragement bags”—were put together for this purpose, and the boarding school students contributed to them with homemade cookies and handcrafted Christmas cards.

At first, a handful of students got together and pooled their ideas. It quickly became clear: Our students wanted to do something good for people in need during this time of the coronavirus pandemic. Anyone can bake cookies, and many are creatively talented: so for the “Cheer-Up Bag,” the students wanted to include something delicious and a kind message. “I finally felt like I was doing something meaningful again!” says student Friederike enthusiastically. “Such small things can bring so much joy.”

The entire boarding school community pitches in

The students’ initiative impressively demonstrated that sharing experiences with others can enhance our well-being:
With the support of boarding school counselor Francine Olschewski, this small group of students managed to get every member of the boarding school community to participate in this initiative. As a result, ovens are running hot in all six residential groups as students bake cookies, and even the housekeeping and administrative staff helped design the cards. “I really didn’t think we’d be able to pull this off. But so many people on campus were enthusiastic about the idea that, in the end, we all pulled it off together,” Francine Olschewski reports proudly. In the end, the boarding school community donated 180 bags of cookies and 180 individually designed cards to the “Mut-Mach-Tüte” project.

Mayor Spies and HR document the handover

And because the initiative is so full of compassion and dedication, it was no surprise that Mayor Dr. Thomas Spies wanted to be there to help present the gifts to the project leader. This ultimately even drew Hessischer Rundfunk to the Steinmühlen grounds, where they recorded the students presenting their homemade gifts to project leader Ms. Angela Schönemann. Boarding school student Noah is especially thrilled: “It all started with just a little idea. And now I’m carrying the cookies right alongside the mayor!”

You can listen to the segment from the show HERE .

Endless Commitment – Students Are Motivated

Caught up in the excitement, the students naturally can’t resist taking part in the distribution of the “cheer-up” bags to the elderly. And so, equipped with FFP2 masks, bags of homemade cookies, and handcrafted cards, some students are bringing a little joy to elderly people living alone in Marburg. “I think it’s super cool what you’ve started here. It began with just a little idea, and I’m so touched by the result. This is exactly what older people need right now,” says project leader Angela Schönemann happily.

Three groups of students surprise lonely seniors at their front doors with a socially distanced visit during the pre-Christmas season. A special highlight: Felix, a student who hopes to study music someday, delights and amazes them with spontaneous arias and choral songs right at their front doors.

The reactions are very emotional on both sides: While the elderly express their joy at this spontaneous, lovely surprise with effusive warmth, the students are deeply moved that such a small gesture can bring so much joy. “I can hardly believe how much love is coming our way. I definitely want to keep doing things like this next year!” says student Verena, visibly moved.

Cooperation to Continue – Doing Good in 2021 as Well

Despite all the challenges, the students at Steinmühle Boarding School have already put together a wonderful project this year. Inspired by the heartfelt reactions of the elderly residents, initiator Francine Olschewski and her students are eager to continue the project in 2021. They are planning to establish mentoring relationships and regular contact between young and old. No matter what—the Steinmühle boarding school community will find its own unique way to make this happen in 2021 as well.