Equal Opportunities for Older Women
About the initiative Content and framework conditions Organisational background Back
St. Katharinen- und Weißfrauenstift (The Saint Katharinen and Weißfrauen Foundation)
Communicational details
Address:
Eschenheimer Anlage 31a
60318 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Contact persons and their known foreign languages:
Frau Pfreundschuh, Administrative director, English
Frau Speicher, Department head
Telephone: 0049-69-156802-0
Telefax:
E-Mail: StKathweis@aol.com
Internet:
About the initiative
Status of the initiative: The initiative is an initiative aimed at improving equal opportunities for older women through an organisation that pursues objectives which are independent of gender or age.
The initiative is independent and has the following legal form: foundation under public law
Back to the top
Content and framework conditions of the project work
The initiative was founded in: 1224
The initiative was founded because of the following reasons:

The two convents, Weissfrauen (founded 1224) and Katharinen (founded 1355), were amalgamated in 1877 and devote themselves to the task of caring for women.
Target group(s): Poor women who have lived at least one year in Frankfurt, are single, and of Christian faith can join and become members, or so-called Stiftfrauen.
Targets: We support the women financially by paying a pension and providing accommodation.
Details of the work done by the initiative:

We support poor women by paying them a monthly pension, we offer the women personal counselling through our social service section, we run homes for old people in Frankfurt am Main with a 24-hour emergency call service and care given by our own staff. The homes for old people have a mobile social aid service, out-patients care, and voluntary possibilities, for example, to take part in excursions, Christmas holidays, or regular gatherings in restaurants and pubs in the various districts of the city. The foundation is a co-partner in a care ward in an old people's home. Our special service is intensive gerontological-psychiatric care.
Areas of work of the initiative:
Care
Leisure/sport
Material aid
Social contacts
Living circumstances
Success that the initiative has achieved:

We have witnessed an increase in the number of women qualifying for admission, from 200 (1994) to 740 (1999). The offer of sheltered housing has been extended. There is also great interest among the general public.
Problems that the initiative has been faced during its work:

We have problems with planning permission and administrative hurdles, and we have difficulties paying staff as a result of the federal collective agreement for public employees.
Participation of the target group concerning the conception, planning and implementation of the initiative's work:

Participation by means of anonymous questionnaires.
Co-operation:

We have been cooperating with the Deutsch Ordens Hospitalwerks since 1994 as co-partner in the care ward.
Information:

We are available for people interested in receiving more information on our initiative by phone, post or e-mail.
Back to the top
Organisational background of the initiative
Staff:

50 salaried employees at the initiative.
Budget:

DM 18.5 million for the overall budget, of which approx. DM 16 million are for the purposes of the foundation
Sources of funding:
Funds from the supporting organisation(s)
Publications or information material available on our initiative:

Brochures informing about the Foundation
Recommended literature:
Tips and suggestions for people interested in foundig a similar initiative:
Back to the top

 

2001-04-25